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publisher the M.S. of the first part of my "Mycological Observations," consist- 

 ing principally of growths collected in 1813. It was at this period that I was 

 received with especial kindness by one, of all men I have ever known, the most 

 amiable and courteous, the ever to be remembered Swartz, the founder of my- 

 cological study in Sweden. By his advice I began in this year my "Monograph 

 of the Pyrenomycetes of Sweden," which I presented in 1S1G to the Royal 

 Academy of Sciences of Holm. I passed the next year, 1815, in Smoland, de- 

 scribing principally the Hymenomycetes, and on the harvest then gathered 

 was founded the second part of the "Mycological Observations." By the 

 negligence, however, of the publisher both parts are so corrupted by typographical 

 errors that the descriptions in this work require to be recast. 



Long experience of its use had impressed on me the insufficiency of Per- 

 soon's divisional method. I commenced therefore in 1816 to construct an entirely 

 new system, subjecting at the same time all species to a fresh and complete 

 analysis. I do not cease to regret that the construction of the microscope was 

 yet so little perfected that I was not able at that day to turn to any use the more 

 minute characters. It will, however, be readily felt how much astuteness was 

 necessary in observing, for instance, the spores of the Hymenomycetes, which had 

 been neglected up to that time, when every single species had to be re-examined 

 in its own proper place of growth. The system of Agarics perfected in that 

 year has met with an approbation so unchallenged that no one since has been 

 tempted to supplant it. In 1S17, a year marvellously productive of Fungi, I 

 collected in my daily excursions a rich harvest of Gasteromycetes, which I have 

 described in a pamphlet entitled " Symbols of the Gasteromycetes," and I also 

 wrote the outlines of the "System of Mycology." In the conception of this 

 work I had formed the intention of comparing my entire collections once more 

 with nature, and also of increasing their number as far as possible in the 

 following year. But in 1818 the fungus crop was so trivial that I sought in vain 

 for many sorts in their well-known old places of growth ; wherefore, from 

 caution rather than of right, I omitted a great number of species quite familiar 

 to me, and united others with their nearest allies in cases where a real difference 

 existed. In the autumn of 1819 I again secured a [large booty from the 

 Scanian woods, and was able to insert, several species then gathered in the 

 first volume of the " System." The book was sent to press in that year, and 

 completed for publication the next, though the publisher directed 1821 to be in- 

 scribed on the title. This year, as usual, I passed a long time in the forests 

 searching chiefly for Discomycetes. I also prepared for publication the 

 " Scleromycetes Suecici," sometime before commenced, in order to lay the founda- 

 tions of my " Mycological System," vol. 2, the first part of which appeared in 

 1822, and the second in 1823. The forest of the Femsjo district and the copses 

 of the Scanian plain contain great variety of timber, pine, fir, beech, alder, 

 birch, poplar, lime, and others. Each distinct group supplied me in turn with 

 its peculiar treasures and afforded great facility to my labours. How earnestly 



