88 DRAWINGS OF BASIDIOMYCETES AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



small collection was obligingly sent by Mr. Thomas Howse. Aid 

 was also promised by the Rev. Dr. Stevenson, of Glamis, the Rev, 

 Dr. Keith, of Forres, Dr. Cooke, and others. 



I found myself, therefore, fairly well equipped with original 

 drawings, as well as illustrated books, prints, and dried specimens. 

 There are two series of dried fungi in the British Museum, one 

 known as the general collection, and the other as the British ; in 

 both collections a vast number of excellent examples bequeathed 

 by the late Mr. C. E. Broome are now incorporated, and many of 

 these specimens are made more valuable by notes and sketches by 

 the donor. 



I have now completed drawings of the whole of the British 

 Leucospori, and forty-four of the Hyporhodii, or four hundred and 

 ninety-two species. In making these drawings, I have in every 

 instance referred to every available drawing, print, or dried example ; 

 I have also used my thirty years' experience to produce (what I 

 consider to be) drawings of characteristic examples. Ill-grown, 

 dwarfed, hypertrophied, and washed-out specimens have been passed 

 over in the attempt to give type forms and colours. Of course 

 longitudinal sections are in every ca&e given, but at the present 

 time there is no sufficient undoubted natural material for all the 

 spores. 



One great advantage has arisen for future students in thus 

 grouping the fungi on large sheets, as critical and closely allied 

 species are now illustrated side by side, and the salient points of 

 differentiation can be seen at a glanca, i. e., where such points 

 exist* By their close resemblance to good species, doubtful and 

 bad species can now also easily be detected or strongly suspected. 



The drawings were no sooner commenced than critical and 

 possibly new British species began to present themselves ; it was, 

 however, found impossible to wait for any doubtful material, so that 

 several species now known to be British are not incorporated on the 

 early sheets— as AgarUm nympharum Kalch., and A. coryphaus Fr. 

 Many most distinct forms have been passed over, owing to the 



impossibility of deciding upon a name or finding a record ; these 

 must all be looked to when the bulk of the work is complete. 

 Agaricus aridity A. umbrinelhi$ y A. pluteoides, and other species new 

 to Britain, have, however, been illustrated. 



Sowerby's drawings are frequently annotated in pencil by the 

 artist, and these notes appear never to have been printed ; some 

 of the drawings are in duplicate. Sowerby at times prepared a 

 coloured as well as a black and white sketch of the same fungus, 

 and he generally more or less manipulated his engravings to suit 

 the size of his plates; he often, too, re-grouped his fungi on the 

 plates, so that, to properly understand his illustrations, one must 

 study his annotated original drawings. The difference between the 

 plates and the drawings is sometimes astonishing ; several of the 

 latter have never yet been published. 



Some of Sowerby's pencil notes are both curious and instructive ; 

 at times he tasted the specimens illustrated ; as examples, he writes 

 under A* cervinus, "Insipid earthy taste to the palate, but some- 



