The study and work in mycology to which Monsieur Boudier de- 

 votes himself is purely as a recreation. He receives specimens from 

 a large circle of correspondents in France, and is as actively engaged 

 in the work to-day as he ever was. The various scientific societies 

 of France have honored him with the highest honors at their command. 

 The one that I think he cherishes the most was recently bestowed on 

 him by the French Academy of Sciences. It was only last year, No- 

 vember, 1910, that he was elected a member of this institution in the 

 grade "Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur." In America we do not 

 realize what that means to a Frenchman. It is the crowning am- 

 bition of every man of letters or science of France to be accorded 

 this rank, and it is one that relatively few ever attain. 



We present on our first page the photograph of Monsieur Boudier, 

 that was issued as a frontispiece on the completion of his Icones. It 

 is an excellent photograph of him as he appears to-day. We present 

 also at the head of this article a photograph that was made about forty 

 years ago, when he began the study of mycology. Monsieur Boudier 

 does not recall his exact age when this photograph was made, but he 

 thinks he was between forty and forty-five years of age. 



We congratulate Monsieur Boudier on the successful completion 

 of his magnificent "Icones Mycologicae," and also on the honors that 

 have resulted. 



FUNGUS IN COMMERCE. 



It is a true saying that one-half the world does not know how the other 

 half lives. Mr. W. E. Barker, of New Zealand, enclosed in a recent letter to 

 me a newspaper clipping which is reproduced below. I presume there is nothing 

 strange about such a newspaper item in the section where the fungus is an 

 article of commerce, but it is certainly worthy of remark that a fungus 

 should be collected to the value of over a million and a half dollars, and its very 

 name and use be unknown to the fungus students. I have written to Mr. 

 Barker, asking that he send me a specimen of the fungus so that I may identify 

 it. While I do not know, I rather suspect that what they are collecting so 

 largely in New Zealand and shipping to China is the common Jew's ear, Hirneola 

 auricula-Judae. 



This fungus is common both in Europe and in America. It is not used to 

 any extent as food in our country, but I was shown this same fungus in one 

 of the Pacific islands, and told it was largely collected and shipped to China. It 

 is probable that it is a staple food among the Chinese. The article is as follows, 

 and is taken from the Taranaki Herald, Taranaki being a province of western 

 New Zealand. 



"FUXGUS. No one has yet fathomed the mystery of fungus. We know 

 what it is and where it comes from, but that is all. We know it is shipped 

 away, but are ignorant of where it goes and what becomes of it. It may truly 

 be said that this fungus industry was the first salvation of Taranaki, and very 

 few people are aware of its magnitude or of the amount of money it puts into 

 circulation. From 1870 to 1903 the Customs returns of New Plymouth show 

 that 305,995 was used in the actual purchase of the stuff from settlers. In 

 addition to this sum an equal amount was spent in labor in packing and in 

 freight. In 1903 Mr. Chong (a Chinese merchant who specialized in the product) 

 went to China, and the fungus business lapsed for a time ; but from 1904 to 

 IQOQ 58,793 was paid. This, with labor and freight, has caused a total cir- 

 culation of 700,000 in forty years surely a very considerable work for one 

 man." 



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