(159) 
corded for November being less than .5 of an inch. This 
was in part counterbalanced by a number of very light 
showers and fogs which served to keep the surface of the 
soil moist. The total precipitation for the year was 37.46 
inches. The first fall frosts occurred about the middle of 
October. 
My own investigations which are, in the main, a continua- 
tion of the work begun while a student at the Botanical Garden 
during the season of 1906 to 1907, are directed along two lines. 
1. A systematic study of various groups of fungi known 
as the ascomycetes, with a critical study of some of the more 
limited groups. 
2. Investigations of the life-histories of some of the little 
known forms, many of which are associated with diseases of 
the higher plants. 
In addition to the more general work on the study of the 
ascomycetes, critical study is at present being carried on with 
one order, the Hypocreales, a monograph of which order is 
well under way. Unusual advantages are afforded for carry- 
ing on this work at the Garden on account of the large num- 
ber of types which are contained, especially in the Ellis col- 
lection in this institution. But notwithstanding the great 
advantages, some difficulties have presented themselves. 
Many of the types are contained in other herbaria, of which 
we have been unable to secure duplicates and before the work 
can be made thorough and complete it will be necessary to 
refer to types in a number of herbaria, among which are the 
Schweinitz collection at Philadelphia, the herbarium of the 
State Museum of Natural History at Albany and the exten- 
sive collections in the cryptogamic herbarium at Harvard 
University. Through the influence of the late Professor L. 
M. Underwood, we have been able to secure cotype speci- 
mens of a number of North American species contained in 
the herbarium at Kew, and in the case of thirteen species 
which were too scant to divide, careful pencil sketches and 
notes have been prepared which become the property of the 
New York Botanical Garden and which have aided much in 
this work. 
