262 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
supposed, understand their business. In the pamphlet before us, 
two pages of the ; 
nowhere stated!) is open to the public. Now the Trustees issue 
numerous botanical publications, some dealing with Fungi, and it 
h uni : 
eems inconceivable that so admira 
to the notice of those through whose hands the publications pass 
for press—apparently without result; and we now call attention 
to the matter in the hope that the public, who really subsidize the 
Museum Guides, may see that these are published in a manner 
consistent with ordinary business arrangements. With this pre- 
liminary but eminently justifiable grumble, we proceed to examine 
the contents of the two little books. 
e Board of Agriculture is to be commended on the brief and 
sensible title of its publication, which is in marked contrast to 
the ‘ bre 
” 2 
solecism is of frequent occurrence—e. g. on pp. 4, 7, 14, 15, 17, 
is used interchangeably with “species.” The English 
throughout is slipshod—e. g. “The following method of cooking 
Morels is given by Dr. Cooke, and the testimony of others 
corroborates his statements” (p. 20), and the amusing antithesis, 
“The flavour is excellent, but the fungus is not common” (p. 1 yy 
reminding one of the phrase, ‘He was born of poor but honest 
parents.” 
It may be said, however, that these are small matters and do 
not militate against the usefulness of the book. Unfortunately 
more serious criticism is suggested by the extraordinary omissions. 
We look in vain for the Chantarelle, the Champignon, or the 
Truffle; for plants which by their very names call for inclusion, 
such as Lactarius deliciosus and Pleurotus sapidus ; for the two 
species of Hygrop (H. pratensis and H. virgineus) ; for 
Pleurotus ostreatus, and others that might be named. n 
er 
8 
5 
6 
S 
wn 
ic2) 
named on p. 15; and Hebeloma fastibile, which bears a close 
resemblance to the mushroom, and is ten i istake 
for it with fatal results. Such omissions as these, especially 
em ta agro ca detract very seriously from the usefulness of 
e book. 
The figures are fairly good, although the omission of any 
Sections showing the attachment of the gills to the stem—a 
: in th d 
ie is—d. ts 
their value. That of the Giant Puffball—which by the way 
- guganteum ; L. Bovista is, we believe, more correct— 
