866 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
thus see at a glance the account of any desired agaric without 
‘. 
his previously published Fungus Flora. He has adopted the method 
which, by some curious accident, 1s omitted from Mr. Massee’s 
bibliography—beginning with the Lewcospor@, or white-spored 
forms; then follow, in order, the Rhodospore, the Ochrospore, and 
the Melanospore. : 
The author hopes to be successful in correcting false impressions 
has found that the 
as to the significance of the term species 
student is too ready to look on a species as * much more sharply 
efin an proves to be the case when the Fungus Flora of 
Europe is included any agarics pass ugh of 
thro variety 0 
phases during their short existence, and the published diagnosis 
r n 
rain has washed them to a dull sameness of colour? There 18 
usually some constant character which enables the fungologist to 
decide on the species, but even that may be obscure. Mr. Massee 
is somewhat less than sympathetic towards the already sufficiently 
bewildered student. 
_ Mr. Massee gives only the essential features of the plants, 
rejecting those that are trivial or due to local circumstances. For 
further information the student is referred to the works recom- 
mended in a short bibliography, from which, as we have noted, 
Stevenson’s British Fungi (Hymenomyeetes), the principal British 
book on the subject, is omitted. E 
The number of European species described is 2750, of which 
agsee 
1553 have been found in Britain—a larger number, Mr. 
pages. In the days to come we may hope to see the brackets 
removed from many of them; Mr. Massee’s book, we doubt not, 
Hee cerned help to that end by indicating lines for successful 
eld-work. 
A. L. 8. 
