The following letter with the names somewhat changed (so that I trust 

 his identity will not be known) will afford, I hope, some of my readers as 

 much amusement as it has me: 



PUMPKINVILLE POLYMORPHIC INSTITUTE, 



Pumpkinville, Texas. 

 DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, 



Office of the Professor. 

 DR. C. G. LLOYD, December 19, 1911. 



The Lloyd Library, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

 My Dear Mr. Lloyd: 



Quite recently I have been looking over your valuable series of "Myco- 

 logical Notes," and, if you will allow me to compliment you, I may add that 

 I have enjoyed their uniformly serious tone. Your attitude toward nomen- 

 clature is in striking contrast to the fine disregard in which so many of our 

 taxonomists hold it. It is a serious matter, and I am glad that you for one 

 so regard it. 



I have, however, been very much puzzled in re one point, which, I feel 

 sure, you, with your knowledge of the field of fungus taxonomy, will be 

 able to elucidate. I find the name of one Professor McGinty mentioned in 

 several instances. I suppose that, even though I must confess to almost 

 entire ignorance of the realm of the fungi from the point of view of classi- 

 fication, I should know this evidently eminent gentleman. But in view of 

 my failure to find his name in the lists of the various botanipal and other 

 scientific societies of this country, I venture to ask you, who have a wide 

 acquaintance among the foreign men of science, who this McGinty is. 

 Were it not for exposing my ignorance, I should further venture to ask the 

 publication of this inquiry in your valued "Notes," in the event that you 

 are unable to supply me with the desired information. 

 Yours very truly, 



FRANCIS E. HONONYM. 



P. S. When I was attached to the Lumholz expedition to Mexico, we 

 had a mule (not an ass) who (sic) insisted on rolling every time he reached 

 the middle of a ford. This circumstance led to giving him a synonym, 

 McGinty: for at that time the song "Down Went McGinty" was much in 

 vogue. Having had the intimate acquaintance of this McGinty, I am natu- 

 rally anxious to identify the other, the to me at present unknown McGinty, 

 author of the new genus Martclla. 



Dear Prof. Hononym: Cincinnati, 0., December 22, 1911. 



I am in receipt of your inquiry of the 19th inst. I do not like the word 

 "ignorance" which you have used in self-accusation in the letter, but your 

 inquiry as to the identity of Prof. McGinty in a measure merits the term. 

 As he is one of the few American Mycologists who follow the "Rochester 

 Code" of their own free will, his identity is undoubtedly well known to your 

 former associates in New York. In addition he is frequently cited in the 

 botanical journals, particularly the foreign ones. I understand that he is 

 a brother-in-law of Mrs. Sairey Gamp. Yours truly, 



C. G. LLOYD. 



()90 



