508 The Botanical Gazette. [November, 
Handbook of British Fungi. 
The modernization of Cooke’s Handbook has reached the fourth 
volume. Although at first promised in three volumes, the enumera- 
tion has not yet been completed with a fourth one. The first two vol- 
umes have already been noticed.1 
The two volumes? before us closely resemble the previous ones in 
their make up, with possibly some improvement in the execution of 
the illustrations. 
The first two volumes with 268 pages of the third volume disposed 
of the Basidiomycetes. The remainder of the third volume treats 
of the Hyphomycetes; and the fourth volume takes up a portion of the 
Ascomycetes. There yet remain the Pyrenomycetes, Tuberacez (both 
in the table of contents of the fourth volutes, but si Otherwise ap- 
pearing in it), Uredinez, Ustilaginez ycetes, 
Phycomycetes, and some others, which together form about 38 per 
cent. of the contents of Cooke’s Handbook. It looks very much as if 
two more volumes, at least, will be required to describe the remainder 
of the British fungus-flora. It is much to be hoped that the work will 
be continued until completed. : 
Much labor has been expended in the examination of type Speci: 
mens, the augmentation and correction of the diagnoses, and the addi- 
tion of spore measurements. Of the nomenclature it only need be 
said that about the expected number of changes occur, without any 
apparent attempt to adopt the radical methods which have recently 
come into vogue. A critical examination into the value of the new 
species and genera® and the shifting of the old ones would lead us too 
ar. 
The work is a welcome and valuable one as it stands, but it will be 
rendered far more useful if a general synopsis of the groups and @ 
universal index are provided with the last volume. 
Minor Notices. 
A CAREFULLY PREPARED catalogue of varieties of wheat was issued 
in 1850 by the distinguished Louis L. de Vilmorin, based upon ma- 
terial which had been’in process of collection for twenty years OF 
more. This collection has continued to grow, and in 1889 a new cat- 
alogue was issued by the eminent Henry L. de Vilmorin, and now 2 
itn toa ected apa ee Dari he aed lcmm le Seoceits 9 
Piet ste 240. 1893. ol 
assee, George. British fungus-flora; a classified aries of myc ene 
Londen, Geo. Bell & Sons, Vol. III, 1893. 512 pp. Vol. IV, 1895. 522 PP: 
*3CE. Bor. Gaz. 20: 431. 1895. 
