[hay] study of CANADIAN FUNGI 141 



Is there not room for that offspring of the Eoyal Society — the 

 Botanical Club of Canada — to do some effective work in this direction? 

 Its branches in each province might organize sections to study the 

 distribution of flowering plants and the various divisions of non- 

 flowering plants: a fern chapter; a section for the study of mosses 

 and lichens; another for fungi; another for algœ. And along with 

 the study of plants and their distribution might be combined the many 

 fascinating problems of ecology, which would give a strong impetus to 

 research work and a new life to the Botanical Club of Canada. ' 



In the United States the study of the higher fungi has been 

 vigorously prosecuted in recent years. Many books dealing with the 

 subject have been published, all of them attractively illustrated, and 

 many of them useful ; government reports have been circulated ; pamph- 

 lets and magazine articles by specialists have popularized the study — all 

 designed to make better known the edible and poisonous mushrooms. 

 As a result many persons have become interested, and mycological clubs 

 in various sections have been formed to gather, study, test and place 

 en exhibition in horticultural halls and other places these curious and 

 little known plants, and to dissipate some of the errors and local pre- 

 judices concerning them. Much work of this kind could be done by 

 amateur botanists throiTghout Canada, so that when the time comes for 

 the publication of Professor Macoun's report, that veteran leader may 

 find local lists and collections from different sections to assist him. 



But local lists, in which the plants named have not been examined 

 by specialists are of little value. Many genera, such as Amanita, 

 Eussula, Clitocybe, and others contain species so nearly alike that only, 

 a careful study of fresh specimens by the few specialists that this con- 

 tinent affords makes identification sure. 



The following review of the work already done in collecting and 

 listing fungi in localities in Canada is incomplete, but may serve to 

 indicate what has been attempted. I shall be glad to receive any 

 information from members ocf this Section concerning other published 

 lists so that this record may be as complete as possible. The only 

 guarantee of the correctness of a list must be that either the author has 

 an intimate knowledge of the plants which he claims to have found and 

 named, or that, before publishing, he has submitted all that may be 

 regarded as critical species to a specialist for examination. 



The earliest list of fungi of which T have any record is that published 

 by Mr. J). A. Watt of Montreal, in 1865, in his Catalogue of Canadian 

 Cryptogams.^ " .Hhis list of fungi," says the editor, " is verv im- 



^ A Provisional Catalogue of Canadian Cryptogams, by D. A. Watt. The 

 Canadian Naturalist. 1865, Vol. II (New Series), pages 390-404. 



Sec. IV., 1904. 10. 



