Two-sporcd Basidia. A. A. l-'carson. 41 



I have not consulted otiier German works; doiibtless there 

 are man\- books and papers scattered amonp^ the botanical 

 literature of the world which, if properly correlated would 

 add to our specific knowledge of the Aj^arics. One of the 

 features of the first number of oiu' transactions in i<Sq7 was a 

 list of recent forci^^n mxcological publications in the f(jrm of 

 short notices. I would like to see this feature revived and 

 extended ; it would be a useful guide to students.* 



When we come to the English works on the Agaricaceae, 

 I find very little microscopic detail given. There is of course 

 Massee's monograph of the genus Inocybc, which is 

 indispensable to all who would identifv the species of this 

 puzzling genus, although one frequently meets with species 

 that do not fit into his framework. It is, however, a basis 

 for future workers and that is what is so badlv wanted. 

 P'ortunately we are likely to get it from the Danish 

 mycologist, J. K. Lange,-f who has published in English 

 three booklets during the last three years, the first c(jntain- 

 ing microscopic particulars of the Mycenae of Denmark, 

 the second dealing with the genera Amanila, Lepiota and 

 Coprinus, and the third with Pluteus, CoUybia and Inocybe. 

 Mr. Lange's English is rather quaint. Eor instance, he 

 describes his work as supplying a "documentary fundament" 

 to the study of the agarics; but in spite of these occasional 

 lapses he writes with clearness, and I hope we shall 

 appreciate the compliment he pays us in writing in our 

 language. I must leave to others more competent to judge 

 as to whether Mr. Lange's specific determinations can be 

 relied upon. If they can be accepted as correct, I have no 

 hesitation in saying that his work will be of enormous 

 assistance towards the elucidation of the Agaricaceae. His 

 tables of spore figures are especially to be commended. 

 The shapes of spores reproduced with the same relative 

 magnification are very helpful and may sometimes be decisive 

 in identifying a species. Spore descriptions in the old works 

 are often too vague to be of any value. Such a word as 

 "elliptical" is used for a variety of shapes. Massee 

 used the description " pip-shaped " in a somewhat in- 

 discriminate fashion. The spores of most species present 

 some differentiating feature. When growing under natural 

 conditions these features are fairly constant. Small 

 differences do exist, but are not of material importance. A 



*Mr. Ramsbottom has, durinf« the last few years, dealt fully in our Transac- 

 tions with the cytological papers which have appeared in the different countries, 

 and we all hope he will be able to continue his fine work. 



t Published by Dansk Botanisk Forening, Copenhagen. 



