96 



The second paper on the program was by Dr. W. A. Murrill 

 and was entitled " Collecting in Mexico." This paper, an abstract 

 of which follows, was illustrated by numerous photographs taken 

 by the speaker. 



"The special object of the expedition to southern Mexico was 

 to secure specimens, descriptive notes, and colored drawings of 

 the fleshy and woody fungi. Collections were made in eight 

 different localities, 3,300 specimens of fungi being obtained, 120 

 of which are represented by colored drawings. 



"The first stop was made at Jalapa, at an elevation of 5»ooo 

 feet, in the moist region of the eastern slope. About a week 

 was spent there, searching the dense virgin forests for fungi. A 

 number of medicinal plants, such as jalap and sarsaparilla, were 

 formerly exported from these forests in large quantities. Ferns, 

 mosses, liverworts, and lichens are abundant in the woods and 

 on the lava walls along the roads and in the fields. 



" The next principal stop was at Cuernavaca, where we collected 

 in the barrancas and gardens from the village of San Antonio to 

 Chapultepec. An excursion was also made on horseback to the 

 Tepeite Valley, on the southern side of Ajusco at an elevation of 

 7,000 feet. This region was moist and very rich in fungi, as 

 well as in mosses and epiphytes. 



" A short stop was made in Mexico City in order to visit the 

 famous tree of ^^ la nocJie triste" and the magnificent grove of 

 ahuehuetes [Taxodium niucronatuni) adjoining the castle of 

 Chapultepec. 



" From Mexico City, we went direct to Colima, on the western 

 coast, a journey of 24 hours by rail. We found the climate 

 there too dry for fleshy fungi, but obtained a number of woody 

 species. Specimens of the interesting candelilla, or wax-plant, 

 which grows in the barrancas about Colima, were obtained from 

 Monsieur A. Le Harivel. The wax obtained from this plant is 

 coming into use in New York City for phonographic records. 



" The only considerable journey made from Colima as a base 

 was to Tecoman and the west side of the valley of the Armeria 

 River, where the elevation is only one or two hundred feet above 

 sea-level. The dense tropical jungle along this river was examined 



