11 



not be deprived of the honour of being the first to start a systematic 

 research of the Danish fungi and their distribution. Unfortunately 

 the work was interrupted by the death of Kylling 1696 and for many 

 years to come nobody interested themselves in botany or mycology. 

 It was not until three quarters of a century later, when, in the 

 middle of the eighteenth century, Linne had revived the botanical 

 study, and men like Michel, Gleditsch, Sterbeck and Haller had 

 commenced to describe the species of fungi that the study of fungi 

 was resumed in Denmark. The opticians had learned how to make 

 better magnifying glasses, and the zoologists had made great progress 

 in their science; consequently the different subjects of study were 

 more definitly separated than formerly. Contemporary with Batsch, 

 Hoffmann, Schaeffer, Schrader, Albertini and Schweinitz, Bol^s 



TON, Jacquin, Bulliard AND Persoon are 

 five Danish naturalists each of whom separas 

 tely performed a significant work for the im« 

 provement of the knowledge of fungi; they 

 are: Holmskjold, Oeder, O. F. Muller, M. 

 Vahl and Schumacher. 



Theodor Holmskjold was originally a 

 student of medicine, but having, taken a 

 long journey in foreign countries in coms 

 pany with Friis Rottb0ll, the botanist, he 

 was appointed professor of zoology and 

 botany at the College of Soro (1762—65). 

 Later on he abandoned this professorship 

 for other professions. His original name 

 was Th. Holm, when, however, in 1781, he 

 was knighted he assumed the name of 

 Holmskjold. Rostrup has described his life in Bricka's Biografical 

 Dictionary. His principal study was pure mycology and both while 

 living at Sore and during the two succeeding years which he passed 

 in Aarhus much time was spent in observing the fungi in the forests 

 especially Agaricaceae, Clavariaceae and Discomycetes. He did not 

 care to find many different species, but he examined each separate one 

 the more thoroughly, made the skilful artist Neander paint them in 

 natural size and himself wrote a very long description of their shape, 

 structure, varieties and mode of growing with numerous references 

 to former authors. 



The morphology of the fungi occupied much of his attention. 

 In the first plate of "Beata ruris" 36 small figures are found, all 

 numbered but without any text. It seems as if they were intended to 

 represent the "seeds"' and "roots" of the Clavariaceae. Not until 20 



Th. Holmskjold. 



Reproduction of a part oi the said 

 painting by Jens JueL 



