Journal of Mtcologt 



A Periodical Devoted to North American Ai\cology. Issued 'Bi- 

 monthly; January, March, A'fay, July, September and November 

 Price, $2.00 per Year. To Foreign Subscribers $2.25. Edited and 



Published by ^^ ^ KELLERMAN, PH. D., COLUMBUS, OHIO 



EDITOR'S NOTES. 



"Personally I see no good reason for capitalizing- any specific 

 names, and my preference is decidedly in favor of following the 

 practice of the zoologists" — an opinion expressed by a scientific 

 writer which it is desirable to commend and heed. The zoolo- 

 gists as early as 1842 declared that "Specific names should 

 always be written with a small letter even when derived from 

 persons or places, and generic names should always be written 

 with a capital." This custom has not changed; never was Sifta 

 cauadcjisis used in any other way, nor Psaltriparus lloydi, Turdus 

 aliciae bicknelli. Corvus americana, Papilio bairdi. Aphis brassicae, 

 or the balance of them. So written they are satisfactory for 

 every purpose and from every point of view. But the botanical 

 mind is at times apparently unstable ; witness the following taken 

 from a Catalogue : Verbesina Virginica, Commelina znrginica, 

 Lyciuni J'ltlgare, Eleocharis Mutata, etc. The reasons for in- 

 variably decapitalizing specific names — adjectives they are, or if 

 nouns adjecteval in significance — are ample in our opinion, but 

 it would be of little avail to bring them forward again. It is 

 "taste." mere custom j>erhaps, that carries the day for some peo- 

 ple. But "tastes" differ ; in our opinion the name Tylostoma 

 lloydii "looks" quite as well as sayi or batesii — and if Tylostoma 

 Iloydii would perchance give offense to the mycologist honored, 

 then it would seem a botanical name is after all not looked upon 

 as something very impersonal. 



Thirteen Parts of the Index to North American Mycology 

 have now been issued — covering a period of seven vears. This 

 work has received cordial approval from many mycologists and 

 a goodly number is found on the mailing list. It has been de- 

 cided to extend the scope, and hereafter the area covered will 

 be South as well as North and Central America. Installments 

 may appear in every No. of the Journal, but the Part or Sepa- 

 rate printed on one side of page only, will not he distributed until 

 the end of the vear. Then all the items will be issued in one 

 alphabetical list, the price to subscribers remaining approximately 

 as at present. 



The present No. is issued early, but the second No. of the 

 vear will be considerablv delayed as usual. 



Journal of Mycology, Vol. 14, pp. 1-48 Taaned Jan. 2, xgo8. 



