DISTRIBUTION 5 
DISTRIBUTION 
No region which has been explored by the mycologist has 
failed to furnish a large number of species of this family. Spegaz- 
zini* has reported a large number of species from the South 
American countries; Fries* and Karsten,* from the Scandinavian 
regions of Europe; Phillips,* Plowright,* Cooke,* and Vize,* from 
the British Isles ; Zopf,* Zukal,* Winter,* and others from Central 
Europe, especially Germany; and Saccardo* and others from 
Italy. As would be expected, each of these regions furnishes spe- 
cies which have not thus far been found in the others; but a 
striking similarity is apparent in this portion of the flora of all the 
regions which have been thoroughly studied ; and, judging from 
my own researches, further study will reveal still further similarity. 
An inspection of the following table and a comparison of it with 
Rabenhorst’s Kryptogamen-Flora, Saccardo’s Sylloge, and other 
works will reveal the fact that many species which are only casually 
reported and even some of those said to be rare in Central Europe 
are among our most common forms. There are indications that 
the reports are incomplete, and that the rarity is due to a lack of 
acquaintance with the group rather than to a lack of occurrence. 
Many of the species reported in this paper have never been 
collected out of doors in this country, although they will almost 
invariably be found in abundance if cultures are made in a moist 
chamber. This peculiar coincidence is due to the extreme deli- 
cacy of the plants which does not permit their development ex- 
cept under the most favorable conditions of moisture. When 
drouth conditions recur again, they are so collapsed and disfigured 
as not to be recognized except by the most careful observation 
and expert knowledge. The substrata on which the plants grow 
are collected almost invariably in a perfectly dry state which is the 
least promising condition for their detection. As an illustration 
may be mentioned Pleurage vestita which is reported as rare in Ger- 
many and has hitherto been recorded, so far as my knowledge goes, 
from but one locality. It appears to be common all over this coun- 
try. Again, P. zygospora is reported from Italy alone, but Pro- 
fessor Thaxter’s observations as well as my own indicate that it is 
* See Bibliography at end of paper. 
