342 Biographical Notice of A. Jerdon, by Sir W. Elliot. 



At the conclusion of his Chapters on Fungi in the 

 Phytologist, Mr. Jerdon strongly recommends the then 

 new work on British Fungi of Mr. Berkeley, several of 

 whose letters refer to the forthcoming publication. "The 

 Outlines of British Mycology," he says, " will be out this 

 week or next. It has twenty-three plates full of beautiful 

 figures, characters of all the Hymenocetes and the larger 

 fungi in their orders, and a list of 2380 British species. 

 (Sept.,- I860.)" "A few of Fitch's figures are defective, 

 because done from specimens sent by post, but the greater 

 part of them are, I think, admirable. Nothing was ever 

 better done than the Jew's ear Peziza, the large Polypori, 

 and several others I could point out. In some cases, as in 

 A. melleus, the figures are defective, from being figures of 

 individuals. But this was a necessary consequence of the 

 mode in which the figures were prepared. The year 1859 

 was so poor in fungi that it was difficult to get species 

 enough to figure, much less to make a selection of such as I 

 could have wished. The book, however, is, I think, useful, 

 and has been appreciated at its full value. It makes no 

 pretensions beyond those of utility. (Oct., I860.)" 



Not the least interesting incidents in this correspondence 

 are Mr. Berkeley's allusions to the heavy demands on his 

 time when apologising for any delay in replying to a com- 

 munication. In May, 1859, he writes, " I can reply to your 

 letter only by neglecting other matters which are very 

 pressing. I am so oppressed with urgent demands that I 

 often wish I could make a bonfire of my whole collections 

 and return once more to peace and quietude " ; and then he 

 proceeds to notice a number of specimens: "No. 1. On Rasp- 

 berry, quite new ; 2 and 3. Sphoeria, about which I will 

 consult Mr. Broome " ; and in a P.S., " I enclose the true 

 Sphoeria stercoraria of Sowerby, a rare plant. At least I 

 have found it but once before, and that fourteen years or 

 more since." On another occasion he says, "I cannot under- 

 take to name Sphoeria, or, indeed, any fungi which require 

 the microscope. If I did so to any extent, I should never 

 have a moment to myself. I had formerly correspondents 

 who sent seven letters a week, each containing half-a-dozen 

 specimens, and sometimes up to thirty, never thinking of 

 the expense of labour and postage to which it put me. This, 

 at last, was so extremely oppressive that I was obliged to 

 form a resolution never to attempt naming anything like 



