196 The Botanical Gazette. [June, 
The pyrenomycetous fungi. 
ONE OF THE most valuable systematic works upon fungi, yet publish- 
ed in this country, has just appeared. It isa thick octavo volume, 
with descriptions of the species (about 2,500) of North American Pyren- 
omycetes, including the Perisporiacese and Hysteriacez, illustrated 
with forty-one carefully drawn plates. Messrs. Ellis and Everhart, 
who are also the publishers, have performed the task ot gathering, 
studying and arranging the species of this large order in a manner 
that must meet the general approval of botanists. The work is more 
than a compilation, although even that would have been’ a decided 
service in the present scattered state of our literature, for the authors 
have revised the descriptions where needed, added uniform spore and 
ascus measurements, and looked after the synonymy. The Perispori- 
acez were elaborated for the volume by Prof. T. J. Burrill. The plates 
were drawn by the late F. W. Anderson, and are very satisfactory. 
he methods adopted in the citation of authority for names is of 
particular interest at the present time. “The name of the author first 
publishing any species has been retained, placed in pad 
case the species has been removed from genus in whic pes 
first placed. The name after the parenthesis has been omitte : 
too cumbersome and unnecessary.” e, however, may 
only to quote Paul’s beatitude, “Happy is he that judgeth not himself 
in that which he approveth.” ing the 
Probably no one could have undertaken the task of arranging a 
American species of _ this order who was so well equipped fort a 
work, both by familiarity with the plants and abundance of eee 
as the present authors, and it is extremely gratifying that a aa 
produced such a satisfactory volume. It will give a decided a Si 
to the observation of these fungi, which will doubtless early lea 
copious additions to the present work. : eady 
The volume would have been made more convenient es the 
reference, if a synoptical table of genera, divisional headlines je 
pages, and an index of hosts had been provided. There is, how The 
an excellent species index prepared by W. C. Stevenson, JF. 
volume is substantially and neatly bound. 
tes: 
1 M.—The North American Pyret ea 
8 vo. pp. 793. pl. 41. Vineland: 
ts J. d HART, B. 
a Contribution to mycologic botany 
Everhart, 1892,—$8.00, 
