TRANSACTIONS OP THE BRITISH MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY 187 



distinctions between " sub-species," " varieties," " sub-varieties," 

 "forms," and so forth, that this compact Httle vohime dealing 

 w^ith the British flora from a wider outlook comes as a wholesome 

 change. It should be not only a help to the beginner who does 

 not know his genera, but a healthy reminder to the expert species- 

 monger who forgets their existence. 



The merits of Engler's system appeal most strongly, perhaps, 

 to the systematist whose practical experience has been confined to 

 the flora of the north temperate regions in the eastern hemi- 

 sphere. The general practical systematist, whose daily business 

 it is to deal with tropical plants as well, embracing every genus of 

 every natural order, may regard the older British system of 

 Bentham and Hooker with more favourable eye. Nevertheless, 

 if Engler's system is all that Mr. Carter claims it to be in his 

 preface, he has increased the debt that British botanists will owe 

 him for his lucid exposition of the genera native in their country, 

 by referring them to " the nearest approach to a natural system 

 that we possess." 



The modification of the nomenclature in Pteridophyta, made to 

 " secure uniformity in the terminations of the names of orders," 

 might have been extended beyond that group, or omitted altogether. 



Bower's classification of the Ferns, and Warming's arrange- 

 ment of the Urticales, are the only departures from Engler's 

 system adopted ; and these seem desirable in both cases. 



The book is well printed, and the type differentiated with 

 judgment. The size is not inconvenient, but the volume might 

 have been more pocketable, even at the cost of a little greater 

 thickness. The price, too, is rather high, even for an introduction 

 to Engler's system, when Hayward's Pocket-book can be bought 

 for another sixpence. jj_ p_ Wernham. 



Transactions of the British Mycological Society for 1913. (Vol. iv. 



part 2 ; pubhshed May 28, 1914.) Worcester: Baylis & Son. 



Price 10s. 6d. 

 The increased activity amongst mycologists in this country is 

 indicated by the Transactions of the British Mycological Society 

 for the season 1913. The number before us contains tw^o hundred 

 and twenty-seven pages, and is greater in size than either of 

 the first two volumes, which each occupied five years. There is 

 also a great increase in the number of active members, and there 

 can be no doubt that the Society is flourishing in every way, and 

 fulfilling all the functions that such a society can. The informal 

 spring foray held at Dolgelley is reported, and a list of the fungi 

 and mycetozoa found there is given. The autumn foray at 

 Haslemere is described at length, and the fungi found there are 

 listed ; Mr. Carleton Rea is responsible for these accounts. The 

 mycetozoa of the Haslemere foray are recorded by Miss G. Lister, 

 and short notes are added in certain cases. The President for 

 the year, Mr. A. D. Cotton, gave as his address " Some Sugges- 

 tions as to the Study and Critical Revision of certain Genera of 

 the Agaricaceje," in which he urged that the monograph was the 



