Anderson & Ickis: Massachusetts Species of Helvella 221 



ently only different in color from the usual condition of H. elas- 

 tica, of which it is probably only a variety." His figure shows 

 the plant wholly ochraceous, but it was made from dried speci- 

 mens and we frequently find exsiccati specimens of H. elastica 

 entirely of that color. In a short key to the N. Y. species of 

 Helvella (Rpt. 31: 59. 1879.) Peck separates H. gracilis from 

 H. elastica on the basis of its glabrous stipe. But Cooke finds 

 his specimens of H. gracilis with pruinose stipes. In the N. Y. 

 State Herb, at Albany the writers had opportunity to study nu- 

 merous collections of this species by Peck but it was impossible 

 to determine whether any of them were type specimens since 

 Peck seems rarely to have marked his type specimens as such and 

 also quite commonly omitted the date of collection. In the dried 

 state nothing could be found to distinguish them from H. elas- 

 tica. Under the lens the stipes were plainly pruinose to tomen- 

 tose. The stipe and lower surface are light-ochraceous-buff, 

 warm-buff or pinkish-buff ; the upper surface varies from cin- 

 namon-buff or clay-color to cinnamon-rufous and chestnut- 

 brown. A drawing by Peck along with these specimens shows the 

 upper surface of the pileus cream-buff. The form with the 

 brown pileus is less frequent but not uncommon in this state. 

 In Farlow's herbarium at Harvard there are a number of excel- 

 lent specimens which Dr. Farlow collected at Williamstown and 

 sent to Boudier who identified them as Leptopodia albella. 

 Through some confusion of names they are labelled H. albipes, 

 a species which probably does not occur in America and even in 

 the dried condition could hardly be mistaken for H. elastica. 

 Careful examination failed to show any distinction between the 

 Williamstown specimens and other specimens which are in the 

 Harvard and other herbaria under H. elastica. 



Peck describes the color of the upper surface of the pileus of 

 his new species H. capucinoides as smoky-ochraceous, becoming 

 brown or ochraceous brown with age; the spores 20-28 X 12- 

 16. A large number of the type specimens of 'this species at Albany 

 were studied. The pileus was bistre to snuff-brown in color. 

 The plants in all respects seem to agree with the exsiccati of H. 

 elastica which we have seen in various other herbaria. The 



