26 



NATURE 



[November io, 1892 



of these matters, but we are quite ready to be convinced 

 by proven facts. Prove to us this devil's work, and we 

 acquiesce in your conclusion. But do not put us off with 

 a logical "must be," the recognized symbol of an assump- 

 tion. Do not tell us that since a hundred were born and 

 only two survive, the ninety-eight must be in some way 

 and for some reason unfit. This is just the very fact of 

 which we require definite and indubitable evidence. 



Now what solid and umimpeachable body of evidence 

 have we wherewith to conclusively refute this scepticism? 

 If animals or plants removed to a new environment 

 assume a new habit, in how many cases is it clearly 

 proved that this is due to the elimination of all those who 

 failed to vary in the direction of this habit ? It behoves 

 us to be careful that the very strength of the natural 

 selection hypothesis be not a source of weakness, by 

 leading us to neglect the duty of experimental verification. 

 That there should be a central institute or institutes for 

 the purpose of such experimental verification, is what 

 Dr. de Varigny and Dr. Romanes are pleading for. It 

 would produce a salutary organization of research ; for 

 the institute would have carefully selected correspondents 

 in all parts of the world who would carry out their ex- 

 periments in concert. It would bring scattered energies 

 to a focus. It would by its journal show individual 

 workers where research is specially needed. It is 

 bound to come sooner or later. We hope to see it an 

 established fact before the close of the present century. 



C. Ll. M. 



' BniTISH FUNGUS FLORA. 

 British Fungus-Flora, a ClassifiedText-Bookof Mycology . 

 By George Massee, In 3 vols. Vol. I. (London and 

 New York : George Bell and Sons, 1892.) 



IT was in 1836 that Berkeley published his " British 

 Fungi " as a part of Hooker's " British Flora," and for 

 about a quarter of a century this was the standard work. 

 In i860 appeared Berkeley's " Outhnes of British Fun- 

 gology," which from the first was disappointing, inasmuch 

 as it was only a barren catalogue for all except the large 

 and conspicuous species ; and even the latter were so 

 compressed in description, by the exigencies of confining 

 the book within narrow and definite limits, that it did 

 not wholly supersede the use of the old " British Fungi.'' 

 In 1871 an effort was made to repair the error by the 

 publication of Cooke's " Handbook of British Fungi," 

 which brought the whole subject up to date, and gave a 

 new impetus to British mycology. On account of the 

 considerable acquisition of species, new to the British 

 flora, it was deemed fitting in 1871 to produce a new 

 work which should include these additions, and then 

 Stevenson's " British Fungi" appeared. This new work 

 only included the " Hymenomycetes," or, in effect, part 

 of the first volume of Cooke's " Handbook," leaving all 

 the rest untouched. In order to remedy this deficiency 

 in part, Cooke's " Myxomycetes " was issued in 1877, and 

 Phillips' "Manual of British Discomycetes " in 1887. 

 Meanwhile a second edition of a portion of Cooke's 

 " Handbook " was being issued as a supplement to 

 " Grevillea," but confined exclusively to the Agaricini. 

 With the exception of Plowright's " British Uredineae " 

 published in 1889, all the rest of the orders contained in 

 NO. 1202. VOL. 47] 



the " Handbook " remained as they were in 1871. The 

 unrevised portions included the Pyrenomycetes, or 

 Sphaeriaceous fungi ; the Sphccropsidece, or imperfect 

 Pyrenomycetes ; and the Hyphomycetes, or moulds. 

 Hence the announcement of a complete work which should 

 include all the British fungi, of whatever denomination, 

 brought up to date, did not come as a surprise. 



The volume before us consists of 430 pages, and pro- 

 fesses to be the first of three volumes, which are to con- 

 tain the whole " British Fungus Flora " in full, and upon 

 the same plan as this first volume. We have heard of 

 wonderful feats of " strong men," but these will be 

 nothing in comparison to the feat which is ostensibly 

 promised on the title-page, when it is accomplished. In 

 our simplicity we should have calculated six volumes as 

 nearer the minimum. If the result proves to be less, we 

 shall be content to bear the odium of a false prophet. 

 We may premise that the author who has undertaken the 

 present work is eminently fitted to carry it out success- 

 fully, inasmuch as he is a practical field naturalist, with 

 independent views, and by no means afraid of hard work. 



To return to the volume in question, we must recognize 

 clearness of typography, and distinctness in the isolation of 

 species, which will facilitate reference and increase its 

 practical utility. The illustrations are rather rough out- 

 lines, but quite sufficient for practical purposes, and will 

 exhibit the distinctions between the several genera as far 

 as illustrations can do it. Of the systematic arrangement 

 we are not prepared to speak so highly, but perhaps some 

 may consider this a matter of detail. The contents may 

 be summarized thus, in the order of their appearance. 

 The Gastromycetes, or puff-ball fungi, commencing with 

 the subterranean species, followed by the Sclerodermece 

 and the Nidulariece, then the Lycoperdece, concluding with 

 the Phalloide(E. These are succeeded by the Hymeno- 

 mycetes, in like manner inverted, commencing with the 

 Tremellinea, and backwards through the other families to 

 the Agaricini, which are commenced in the last 120 

 pages, but not half completed. We imagine that half 

 another volume will be required to complete the Basidio- 

 niycetes. 



Under ordinary circumstances, when we take up a 

 flora, we are accustomed to meet with the adoption of 

 either one of two methods. The one consists of a regular 

 sequence, from what the author regards as the highest 

 developments in his congeries to the lowest ; the other an 

 equally regular sequence from the lowest to the highest. 

 This is conventional, but the present book is not conven- 

 tional. In one sense there undoubtedly is a regular 

 sequence from the lowest forms to the highest in the 

 Basidiomycetes, which this volume contains ; but we must 

 not infer that Mr. Massee regards the Basidiomycetes as 

 the lowest order of Fungi, or that he commences with the 

 simplest organisms, proceeding upwards by regular 

 gradations to the most complex, when he starts with the 

 Gastromycetes. Undoubtedly our author has not made 

 a special study of the puff balls in order to degrade them 

 to the lowest rank. Hence we can only arrive at one 

 conclusion, and that is, that such portions of the work 

 have now been printed as were ready for the press, and 

 no conclusions are to be drawn from the sequence 

 adopted as a convenience, as if it were adopted by pre- 

 meditation. 



