PROFESSOR W. A. KELLERMAN. 



It was a heavy blow that fell on American mycologists at the 

 death of Professor Kellermau. I am afr?id there is no one to take up 

 and continue his work. 



His earlier years were devoted largely to the microscopic species, 

 and when his career was suddenly cut short he had just begun to get 

 a good start with our larger fungi. Professor Kellertnan was perhaps 

 the most energetic and enthusiastic mycologist we had. In fact, he 

 paid the penalty with his life in venturing into a tropical climate in 

 search of material for his favorite study. His death was a severe 

 shock to all of us, for only a few months previous he had left us in the 

 best of health, with hopes of rich additions to his collections. 



When Professor Kellerman began the publication, or rather re- 

 vived the publication of the Journal of Mycology, he succeeded in 

 instilling new life into American mycology. It was largely a labor of 

 love, for I think the publication was never a success from a financial 

 point of view and always drew on his private resources. There are few 

 men so enthusiastic in their work that they are willing to make per- 

 sonal sacrifices in order to carry it on. 



OUR LATEST LAWS " BY AUTHORITY." 



I was .glad to be advised by a special correspondent at Brussels 

 that the recent botanical congress had adopted Fries, with a few ex- 

 ceptions, as a starting point for mycological nomenclature. While I 

 do net believe that nomenclature can be regulated by artificial law, I 

 am personally much gratified that the congress was wise enough to set 

 their disapproval on the flood of cheap date-dictionary juggling so 

 prevalent of late. While it will probably have little effect with this 

 work, as those who have indulged in it are so deep in the mire that 

 they can not extricate themselves, yet if they persist in this course it 

 puts them in the position of being open outlaws and removes the last 

 vestige of the excuse that the work is done under the guise of law. 



I have not seen the full text of the Brussels "Laws," and do not 

 know if they contain any "sleepers." I am thoroughly convinced, from 

 what I learned in conversation 'with mycologists in Europe, that those 

 with whom I talked were earnest in their desire that something be done 

 at Brussels to prevent name juggling, but whether or not they have 

 succeeded is another thing. The name juggler is a natural product of 

 the personal advertisement system in connection with plant names. 

 Probably as long as one exists, so will the other, for they go hand in 

 hand. 



Botanical congresses, like political conventions in the United 

 States, are governed by a system of trading, wherein a few wire-pullers 

 in each section direct the matter. Fortunately, from a fungus point of 

 view, the chief pullers in this department (Farlow and Atkinson) had 

 rather sane ideas and made a late date (Fries) their starting point. 

 However, the "starting point" in nomenclature of fungi is of about as 



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