BERKELEY S OUTLINES OF BRITISH FUNGOLOGY. 5 



of all the species of truly baccate Carisseae, from the Old as well as the 

 New World, some further generic consolidation may simplify the sys- 

 tem. The other nine genera, Heterothrix, Macrosiphonia, Amblyan- 

 thera, Mesechites, Rhodocalyx, Rhabdadenia, Stipecoma, Prestoniopsis, 

 and TJrechites (the two last extra-Brazilian) would all have formed part 

 of the old genus Echites. Their establishment as separate genera may 

 have been rendered necessary by the adoption of those already severed 

 from Echites by Alph. De Candolle and others; and the numerous 

 species appear to us to be better grouped here than in the Prodromus ; 

 yet we cannot but regret that, in some instances, the course had not been 

 preferred of maintaining larger genera, divided into sub-genera and 

 sections. 



With regard to species, as far as we have investigated them, we con- 

 sider Dr. Muller's appreciation of their value as very fair. As was to 

 be expected, several which had been previously proposed, upon single 

 specimens, have, on the comparison of more copious collections, proved 

 to be varieties of variable types ; and a considerable number of old Echi- 

 tes, especially belonging to the genera Odontadenia, Dipladenia, Am- 

 blyanthera, &c, admitted into the Prodromus and other works, are here 

 judiciously reduced. Future investigations may even suggest still further 

 consolidations: Forsteronia Benthamiana (Mull.), will, for instance, 

 probably prove to be but a very slight variety of F. Schomburgkii. 

 But, upon the whole, we can neither class Dr. Miiller with the modern 

 wholesale species-makers, nor yet charge him with inconsiderate amal- 



oiation. 



Besides the 274 species of Apocynacese enumerated in the present 

 work, Dr. Miiller has published annotations or descriptions of sixty 

 more American, but not Brazilian species, in the 30th vol. of the Linnaea, 

 pp. 387 to 454. 



II. — Outlines of British Eungology : containing Characters of above 

 a Thousand Species of Eungi, and a complete List of all that have 

 been described as Natives of the British Isles. By the Eev. M. J. 

 Berkeley, M. A., E. L. S., author of "Introduction to Cryptogamic 

 Botany." London: Lovell Reeve. 1860. 



Mr. Berkeley's work is a most valuable addition to the botanical lite- 

 rature of this country. To a great extent (although, from its profes- 

 sedly limited scope, not entirely) it fills up a gap which has long existed. 

 None of the recent works on the British Elora profess to deal with the 

 Eungi, nor would it be convenient that they should do so ; for the sub- 

 ject, from its nature and magnitude, requires to be treated separately. 

 Mr. Berkeley's work contains descriptions, accompanied in many in- 

 stances by figures, of all such British Eungi as require nothing more 

 than a common lens for their examination; and, in addition, it contains 

 the characters of the genera of all other known British Eungi, with a list 



