flowering plants, and when the Garden shall have laded into a more cor- 

 rect perspective, we may expect some such popular treatises on the humble 

 though usually beautiful, creatures which go with heads in the dust. But 

 I leave it to the student of psychogony to discover why the fastidious 

 liuman so often turns with loathing from a mushroom. It would seem 

 that these plants, by their graceful adaptive forms and varied colors, could 

 easily conquer the feelings which seem to frequently exist only because of 

 the falsely suggestive name of "toadstools" commonly given to all species 

 of the Agaricaceae. However, an interest in these larger fungi is felt by 

 many, and one purpose of this brief note is to call attention to two recently 

 published works Avhich make possible at least a general knowledge of 

 the forms to be found in the United States. 



The first of these books is "Moulds, Mildews and Mushrooms," by Dr. 

 Underwood, published by Henry Holt & Company. Keys enable the 

 student to trace specimens to their genera, and notes on distribution, hab- 

 itat, etc., conspicuous species, and a full bibliography are given. The 

 second booli is "A Thousand Fungi," by Charles Mcllvaine, published by 

 the Bowen-Merrill Company. Many fine plates from photographs and 

 water color studies illustrate a lai'ge number of species, especially the 

 commoner and more conspicuous forms. This work is decidedly less sci- 

 entific that the first, and the many notes are usually intended especially 

 for the mycophagist. 



To the best of my knowledge those who gather fungi for food pur- 

 poses in Wells County, and doubtless also in other portions of the State, 

 confine themselves exclusively to the morel. This species is not rare in 

 the spring. It belongs to another group than the one to which other 

 mushrooms, as they are known, belong. Near Bluffton a species of 

 Geoglossum, a genus belonging to the same order as Morcliella, was not rare 

 in low woods in August. It was not found in sufl3cient quantities to cook, 

 but eaten raw had a nutty flavor, woody texture. 



In low woods on and about rotting logs in Wells and Whitley counties 

 during August Clavarias were common. C. cristata seemed to be the com- 

 mon species. Underwood says none of them are deleterious, and Mcll- 

 vane recommends some of them especially for soups. In past years 

 species of Eydnum have been observed commonly in the two counties men- 

 tioned above, but this year, possibly because of the little time spent in the 

 woods compared with some former years, none were seen. 



