Studies of the Schweinitz Collections of Fungi 193 



of Schweinitz's collections of fungi, the writers have been as- 

 sisted by Miss Elsie M. Wakefield, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Kew, England, Miss Alice Swayne, of Kennet Square, Pa., Mr. 

 Wm. J. Stevenson, Jr., Dr. George de Schweinitz, and Dr. Ed- 

 ward J. Nolan, of Philadelphia, Dr. N. L. Britton, of New York, 

 Mr. Eugene A. Rau, of Bethlehem, Pa., and Dr. W. G. Farlow, 

 of Cambridge, to all of whom they wish to express their great 

 indebtedness and appreciation. 



Work on Fungi 



Although born in this country (Bethlehem, Pa., Feb. 13, 1780), 

 Lewis David von Schweinitz entered the Theological Institution 

 at Niesky (Prussia), in 1798 and it was there that his first myco- 

 logical work was done. 1 In collaboration with his teacher, Pro- 

 fessor J. B. de Albertini, he published in 1805 the Conspectus 

 Fungorum in Lusatiae. This book contains twelve colored 

 plates, the work of Schweinitz. 



He apparently remained at Niesky as student and teacher until 

 1807 when he was called to Gnadenburg, and subsequently to 

 Gnadau as a preacher in the Moravian Church. From the latter 

 post he came to America in 1812, having been appointed adminis- 

 trator of church estates in North Carolina (8). Before leaving 

 Europe he was married by his friend Albertini, to Louisa Amelia 

 Le Doux, a descendant of a French Huguenot family then resid- 

 ing in Pomerania. Napoleon's military activity made it neces- 

 sary for them to come by way of Denmark and Sweden, a cir- 

 cumstance which resulted in Schweinitz's becoming acquainted 

 with members of the University at Kiel in Holstein, from which 

 institution he received in the same year the honorary degree of 

 Doctor of Philosophy. 



Arriving in this country after a voyage made eventful by the 

 opening of the war between England and the United States 

 Schweinitz and his bride stayed a short time in Bethlehem, Pa. 

 It is probable that his collections in this vicinity were begun at 

 this time, as the fifth species mentioned in his Fungi Carolinae 

 Superioris, which was completed before he took up residence in 



1 Johnson (6) mentions the fact that while a young student at Nazareth, 

 Pa. ( 1 787-1 798), he showed great interest in botany and prepared a partial 

 flora of the region. 



