250 SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 
in Amanita jonquillea, that there is a tinge of yellow in the pileus 
of some individuals of Amanitopsis albocreata, with variability in 
some of the other characters, are responsible for the opinion 
expressed as'to the specific identity of these two species. Each 
species has its own range of fluctuating variation. The fact that 
at the extremes of the range of fluctuating variation one or more 
of the characters in different species overlap is not evidence of 
their specific identity. 
ow we come to Amanita velatipes, another species which is 
confused with Amanita jonquillea et al. - This is a large and robust 
species, about equal in size to Amanita muscaria. The pileus is 
usually hair-brown, or umber-brown, sometimes with a tinge of 
lemon-yellow, or rarely entirely maize-yellow. The remaining 
parts are white. The volva is thick and distinctly circumscissile. 
The calyptra breaks into concentric rings, especially near the 
margin, and these transversely into irregular areolate patches, 
which are usually firm and compact. They are easily freed from 
the viscid pileus and commonly warp up around the edge and may 
thus soon fall away. The lower portion of the volva remains 
concrete with the base of the stipe and is often ocreate. But more 
commonly the continued elongation of the stem severs it once or 
twice more in a circumscissile manner, thus leaving one or two 
stout rings above the bulb. These rings are more rarely checked 
transversely into coarse warts, in robust specimens, approaching 
then the usual condition in Amanita muscaria. The partial veil 
is ample and adheres very firmly to the stipe. It is easily freed 
from the gills but clings firmly to the margin of the pileus, for a 
time, and as the plant expands the veil is ripped off the surface 
of the stipe and forms an inferior or median annulus. The spores 
are oboval and inequilateral in profile, and when mature contain 
a large oil drop. 
It is difficult to understand a concept of species which would 
unite Amanita velatipes with Amanita jonquillea. Its relationships 
are far closer to Amanita pantherina and Amanita muscaria. The 
smaller forms are exceedingly difficult to distinguish from Amanita 
pantherina. Or, shall we say that large forms of Amanita pan- 
therina are difficult to distinguish from Amanita velatipes? I 
have several times collected, in the Vicinity of Ithaca, a large 
white Amanita which might be taken for a white form of either 
