H. C. BEARDSLEE. 



The photograph on the preceding page is an excellent likeness of 

 Professor H. C. Beardslee as he appears to-day. Professor Beardslee 

 is connected with a large educational institute of Asheville, North 

 Carolina, which would, of itself, be enough to occupy the time of an 

 ordinary individual. He is also engaged in a close and critical study 

 of the fungi, particularly the Agarics of his section. In addition, he 

 is a "whister," and a regular attendant at the National Whist Con- 

 gress, where, I am told, he is known as "Doc." Beardslee. 



Some years ago, Professor Beardslee and I spent a season to- 

 gether, studying the fungi in Sweden. Since that time our relations 

 have been very intimate, and I am often favored with visits from 

 him when he is passing through Cincinnati. 



Professor Beardslee, in my opinion, is one of the very few men 

 to-day who has a critical knowledge of the Agarics. Located in a 

 most favorable environment, where they occur in abundance, he has 

 given the subject years of study, but has done little publishing not 

 as much as he should. He is in practically the same region where 

 Schweinitz, who blazed the trail in America, published the first list. 

 In Schweinitz's days conditions were rather crude. From the speci- 

 mens he left, we know that he made many errors in the determina- 

 tion of Polypori. No doubt he also introduced a number of erroneous 

 records of Agarics; but there is no way of determining this fact, as 

 he left no specimens of Agarics, or practically none. Professor Beards- 

 lee, being located in the same region, is in a position, by noting the 

 species he finds and comparing them with the record of Schweinitz, 

 to verify or correct every one of them. This would make a most 

 valuable commentary, and add much to our knowledge of the sub- 

 ject. We still hope that something like this will be accomplished 

 by him, for Professor Beardslee has given too much close study to 

 the subject to content himself with the few contributions he has 

 made in print. 



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