August 26, 1898.] 



SCIENCE, 



259 



vision of Vegetable Physiology and Path- 

 ology of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture which will attract more than 

 usual attention is that on ' Some Edible and 

 Poisonous Fungi,' by Dr. W. G. Farlow, of 

 Harvard University. In the introduction 

 the author says : " The question which 

 everyone asks first is : How can you tell a 

 mushroom from a toadstool ? This is one 

 of the questions which no one can answer, 

 unless an explanation of why the question 

 should never be asked may be considered 

 an answer. You cannot tell a mushroom 

 from a toadstool, because mushrooms are 

 toadstools. The reason why the question 

 is so frequently asked is because the belief 

 is well-nigh universal in this country that 

 the fleshy umbrella- shaped fungi are divided 

 into two classes, mushrooms, which are 

 edible, and toadstools, which are poisonous. 

 This assumed diflerence does not in fact ex- 

 ist. All the fleshy umbrella shaped fungi 

 are toadstools, and to a small number of 

 the best-known edible forms the name 

 mushroom is applied popularly and in com- 

 merce; but not a small number of the 

 other toadstools are edible, and a great 

 many of them, probably the most of them, 

 are not poisonous." 



As to how we may tell an edible from a 

 poisonous fungus, the author says : " Our 

 knowledge on this point is empirical. AVe 

 know that certain species are edible, and 

 others are poisonous, because people have 

 eaten the former and found them to be 

 good, while the latter have produced un- 

 pleasant symptoms and even death." He 

 says further that "with regard to the 

 species which have not been tried experi- 

 mentally or accidentally we can only say 

 that they are probably edible or poisonous, 

 judging by their resemblance to other 

 species known to be such. Although, in the 

 absence of experience, analogy is the only 

 guide, it is not a sure guide, and unpleas- 

 ant surprises may arise." 



The sections which follow treat of growth, 

 structure and characteristics of toadstools, 

 followed by descriptions and figures of 

 Agaricus campestris, the common mushroom, 

 (edible); Amanita muscarla, fh^ fly Agaric 

 (poisonous) ; Amanita phalloides, the deadly 

 Agaric (poisonous) ; Agaricus arvensis, the 

 horse mushroom (edible); Hypholoma appen- 

 diculatum (edible) ; Coprinus comatus, the 

 horsetail fungus (edible); Lejnota procera, 

 parasol fungus (edible); Cantharelliis ci- 

 barius, chanterelle (edible); Marasmius orea- 

 des, fairy-ring fungus (edible); tube-bearing 

 fungi, morels, puff balls, etc. A half dozen 

 rules for the use of beginners close this 

 valuable paper. It should be in the hands 

 of every teacher of botany, from colleges 

 and universities down through the high 

 schools into the grammar and primary 

 grades. 



Charles E. Bessey. 



The Univeesity of Nebraska. 



CURRENT NOTES ON 3IETE0R0L0GY. 



EEPOET OP THE CHIEF OF THE WEATHER 



BUREAU. 



From the Report of the Chief of the Weather 

 Bureau for 1896-97 we learn that during the 

 last fiscal year a total of 4,625,250 weather 

 maps was issued, and that daily forecasts and 

 warnings were sent to 51,694 places, by mail, 

 telegraph, telephone, etc. There are now 81 

 map-printing stations outside of Washing- 

 ton, D. C; about 8,000 places from which 

 climate and crop conditions are reported, 

 and about 3,000 voluntary observers make 

 daily observations. The stations at which 

 storm signals are displayed number 253. 

 The river and rainfall stations, making 

 daily observations to be used in river and 

 flood forecasts, number 113 and 42 respec- 

 tively. Substantial progress has been made 

 in perfecting the kites used in the explora- 

 tion of the free air, and it is hoped soon to 

 publish daily weather charts based on the 

 high-level readings made by means of in- 



