464 W. C Sturgis — Type- Specimens of Myxomyeetes. 



apparently sent to Dr. Rex, or at least examined by him, bnt as a 

 rule Mr. Lister was obliged to rely chiefly upon the original descrip- 

 tions or upon specimens sent to him by Dr. Rex as authentic. 

 How far Professor Macbride was enabled to examine the type-speci- 

 mens I do not know, but my impression is that his knowledge of 

 them rests upon the same basis as that of Mr. Lister. It is interest- 

 ing, therefore, to note the history of these thirty-three species. 



The following list includes, I believe, every species described by 

 Professor Peck ; in each case I have given the original name, the 

 name as it appeared after revision hj the author, and the final dis- 

 position of the species by Messrs. Lister and Macbride respectively. 



From an examination of this list of species, it is apparent that 

 there exists, among the authorities, a considerable difference of 

 opinion with regard to many of them. This seems to be due in a 

 measure to the fact that the type-specimens themselves have not 

 been sufficiently examined. Acting upon this supposition, I requested 

 from Professor Peck permission to examine the material in the her- 

 barium of the New York State Museum at Albany. This was most 

 courteously accorded me, and I desire here to express my thanks to 

 Professor Peck for his kindness in the matter. In November, 1899, 

 I visited Albany and examined the greater portion of the Myxomy- 

 eetes in the herbarium, paying special attention to the species origi- 

 nally described by Professor Peck. Notes were made upon each one, 

 indicating the habit, color, and other external features, while for 

 the microscopic detail, mountings in glycerine were made upon glass 

 slides and preserved for future study. 



Of the 33 species originally described by Professor Peck, type- 

 specimens of 17 were examined on the spot. Later I received, 

 through the kindness of Professor Peck, 10 more type-specimens 

 not before examined, making 27 in all. These species are marked 

 with an asterisk in the list. Of the remaining 6 species, Bklymium 

 angulatum is not represented in the herbarium ; the specimens of 

 Stemonitis Morgani^ Comatricha subcmspitosa and Comatricha 

 longa Sire not at present accessible; Didymium oxalinum, though 

 not included in the collection, has been otherwise, and doubtless cor- 

 rectly, referred by Professor Peck himself ; Aethalhim geophilum 

 has been decided by Professor Peck to belong, not to the Myxomy- 

 eetes but to the doubtful genus Hyphella, Fr., a near relative of 

 Botrytis, and is therefore not included in the list. 



For the reasons above stated it has seemed to me highly advisable 

 that the type-specimens still existing should be accurately described 



