in America thai about two out of three plants one meets agree with the 

 descriptions just enough so that one thinks it may be the species, and 

 differ, just enough so that one doubts it. So that you are in a more un- 

 certain position when you finish your determination than when you l>rt;;in 

 it. This is the fault of the way in which the matter is presented. Professor 

 Peck knows the New York plants and could write systematic work, pre- 

 senting the plants by constrast and pointing out the differences between them 

 so that they could be recognized. I think I reflect the wish of every Amer- 

 ican mycologist when I express the hope that he may undertake A Manual 

 of New York Agaric*. I use the word "New York" because it is the New 

 York species that Professor Peck knows, and fungi are such widely spread 

 plants that it would serve as a manual for the entire country. American 

 mycology is embarrassed with a lot of "dried specimen" descriptions of 

 agarics which for the most part are rubbish and should be crossed off the 

 "literature." It is impossible for a man to draw up live characters from 

 dead plants that lose the most of their real characters in drying. Such 

 work only confuses" the facts and should be ignored in any work that wishes 

 to be of real service. 



There is no series of plates illustrating the agarics of America. Such 

 as have been issued in the New York Reports are poor and of but littie 

 utility. In Europe there are many illustrated works, so badly executed they 

 help but little. Boudier's magnificent plates unfortunately include but very 

 few' agarics. Boudier's special study is the little Pezizas, a specialty of 

 very little general interest. If he had devoted his talents to the agarics and 

 issued six hundred plates of European agarics it would have been a prac- 

 tical solution of the agaric situation. And it would have been a popular 

 work and have had a large sale. Nine out of ten mycologists are interested 

 in agarics, and every one knows how poor the usual plate is. 



Not counting Boudier, the best illustrations of the agarics of Europe 

 in my opinion are the old works of Bulliard, Sowerby, and Greville, and in 

 the Flora Danica. The most useful series is Cooke's plates because it 

 embraces all common species and for the most part is fairly well done. 

 If you have funds to buy but one series of illustrations, buy Cooke's. They 

 cost about one hundred dollars. With all Cooke's faults, he did a great 

 deal to popularize mycology in England, and I wish we had a Cooke in 

 America. 



Many years ago in Professor Gray's time, it was announced tha; the 

 cryptogams of America would be worked up by Professor Farlow. It is an 

 cpen secret that some excellent plates have been prepared under Professor 

 Farlow's directions, but whether or not they will ever be published I do 

 not know. We can only live in hope. 



But all this is departing from the Polyporus subject. Favor me by 

 sending such specimens as you find this season and I will advise you what 

 I may know about them, and will try to learn more, and in time hope to 

 present a work that will enable you to learn for yourself. 



C. G. LLOYD, 

 Court and Plum Streets, 



Cincinnati, Ohio. 





