we have succeeded in arranging the species where they belong in these 

 sections that will be enough "novelty" to satisfy us, for we think it 

 has not been even approximately done before. 



As this pamphlet is proposed simply as an arrangement of the 

 species, we have given but very brief descriptions, in fact only the 

 more salient points. We think very few species are ever learned 

 except from specimens, and that the largest part of the bad Latin that 

 is used in describing species is purely a waste of good printer's ink 

 and of no avail whatever as far as identifying the species is concerned. 

 We have introduced a number of photographs that will be found to 

 be of more service in this respect than the most minute descriptions 

 that could be written. We have not given in detail the source of these 

 illustrations, but we believe them to all be true to name, and the greater 

 part of them are made from the type specimens. 



As to nomenclature we have employed the sectional name as the 

 first binomial (except in one case where it would produce the bar- 

 barism called tautology) and these sectional names are all old and 

 familiar and will not lead to any confusion. If these sectional names 

 are taken as genera, it is absolutely senseless to record who used the 

 sectional name first as a generic name for any particular species. 

 Mycologists are so very busy recording in great detail who did this and 

 who did that, and who called it this and who called it that, and who 

 made this combination and who made that combination, that they often 

 have little time left to consider what was done. 



As to specific names, in the body of this work we have not added 

 personal names to the specific names, believing that in the case of most 

 of the plants the authors being dead, it would not serve the usual pur- 

 pose of ministering to self-conceit. We have given them in our syno- 

 nyms where we think they are quite appropriate. We have given 

 these names also in our index, according to the wishes of the authors 

 in most cases, although not all. Some writers are so selfish they wish 

 to advertise only themselves, others divide the advertisement with a 

 collector or with a friend. It has been suggested that it w T ould be a 

 gracious thing to give all the advertisement to the collector, and I think 

 the latter is the best plan, at least I adopt it in this pamphlet where 

 I am concerned. In several cases in arranging the species it occurs 

 that sometimes two in the same section have the same specific name. 

 We have made no change, merely indicating the second by the word 

 bis and would prefer to leave the work of changing names to others. 

 We have endeavored to make this pamphlet a practical summary of 

 what is known (to us) on the subject, and have indicated by the 

 size of the type the relative value of the species as they appeal to 

 us. Those printed in the larger type are the leading marked, charac- 

 teristic species which we believe have merit and value. Those in smaller 

 type are forms or doubtful species or plants imperfectly known to us. 

 Where I have not seen and studied a species I usually place it in the 

 section "unknown" (to me) for I think there is nothing gained by my 

 guessing a second time concerning what was in many cases largely 

 an original guess. If I have done any guessing as to the identity of 



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