864 A Sketch of the Progress of Botany [ December, 
year Cicada, and which Mr. Peck proposes to put into the new 
genus Massospora, which he briefly characterizes. The table 
giving the synonymy of the Myxomycetes of New York, and 
the critical notes which follow are valuable, especially to those 
who do not have access to Rostafinski’s work. 
In the “United States Species of Lycoperdon,” a paper read 
Feb. 4, 1879, by Mr. C. H. Peck, before the Albany Institute, we 
have the first approximately complete account of the puff-balls of 
this country. The paper opens with a general description of 
puffballs, covering six pages. This is followed by a synoptical 
table of the species, which are arranged under two sections, viz: 
Bovistoides and Proteoides, according as the peridium ruptures 
irregularly or regularly. The excellent specific descriptions 
which follow in the body of the paper, are based upon Mr. Peck’s 
personal observations, and these are supplemented by remarks 
upon the general and more obvious characters, as well as the dis- 
tinguishing features of such species as are closely allied and lia- 
ble to be confused. Nineteen species are thus described in full, 
and four others, known to occur in the United States, but not 
seen by Mr. Peck, are more briefly noticed at the end of the 
paper. A list of publications consulted closes this valuable con- 
tribution. : 
The same indefatigable mycologist, in several short articles in 
the Botanical Gazette, described thirty-eight new species from 
various parts of the United States. Of these twenty are Ure- 
dineze, six Hymenomycetes and four Gasteromycetes, 
M. C. Cooke, in the March number of Grevillea described sev- 
eral new species ftom California, and in the September number of 
the same journal, Mr. Cooke and J. B. Ellis described thirty or 
more new Fungi from New Jersey. 
- Baron Theumen’s short contribution in the October Bulletin of 
the Torrey Botanical Club, contained Ligaen of several new 
species. 
In P: B. Hine’s “Observations on Severs Forms of sapri 
niew,’ — in the October (1878) American Quarterly Micro- 
al Fournal, and concluded in January, 1879, we have one of 
de Sak records of a careful study of the plants of this interest- 
ing order in this country. Four plates, filled with many figures, 
accompany the paper. 
ae B. Ellis’ paper “On the Variability of Spheria quercuum 
