Recently Cordyceps sobolifera has been found in Japan (cfr. 

 page 575) by S. Kawamura, and an abundant collection sent to me. 

 The Japanese specimens were all, with one imperfect exception, im- 

 mature, but in the photograph that Mr. Kawamura sends (Fig. 808) 

 a perfect specimen is shown. The host, and microscopic details of 

 the West Indian and Japanese plant are the same, and there can be 

 no question of the identity of the species. The only difference I can 

 note is that the West Indian is much darker color. 



There were other references to the plant in old works of Natural 

 History of West Indies all more than a hundred years ago. Since 

 those old days Berkeley and Tulasne have both received specimens 

 and given accounts and figures, Berkeley in 1845 and Tulasne in 

 1865. No specimens are now preserved in either of their herbariums, 

 nor in any museums of Europe as far as I have found. The plant is 

 usually abortive or deformed and there is much variation in the old 

 crude cuts. There is no evidence that such a perfect specimen as 

 Mr. Brace sends was ever before collected. 



CLATHRUS CRISPUS (Fig. 827). Two hundred years ago 

 Plumier gave a crude figure of a phalloid which has been recognized 

 as evidently the same as Clathrus crispus, 

 which was finely, though it appears not 

 accurately, figured by Turpin, Dictionaire 

 des Sciences Naturelles, Atlas, plate 49, 

 about 1820. This figure (cfr. Syn. Phal- 

 loids, (Fig. 76) is perfectly globose with 

 large, isometric meshes. I have never seen 

 any specimens corresponding to this figure. 

 Father Schupp, from Brazil, sent me a 

 photograph of a phalloid with same upper 

 meshes, but the lower greatly elongated. 

 This photograph was reproduced in Syn- 

 opsis of Phalloids, Fig. 71, and called 

 Clathrus Americanus. Mr. L. J. K. Brace 

 has just sent me a dried specimen (Fig. 

 827) which has the meshes equal on one 

 side and elongated on the other. There is 

 no doubt it is the old, lost Clathrus crispus 

 and it is also Clathrus Americanus. It also explains the Clathrus 

 pseudo-crispus of the Phalloid pamphlet (Fig. 77). The truth in 

 mycology is very elusive, but it finally filters out. Our best thanks 

 are tendered to Mr. Brace for the specimen clearing up this subject. 



HELP! HELP! ! HELP! ! ! 



A general alarm has been sent out by the New York Botanical 

 Gardens for four species of Agarics that mysteriously escaped having 

 Murrill's name affixed in a recent issue of their publication. It was 

 the intention to add the name Murrill to all 311 species, but by some 

 slip four got away. A liberal reward will be paid to any one who 

 will capture one of these mavericks and bring it back into the fold. 



Fig. 827. 



