78 
CORDYCEPS HAWKESII. 
closely allied genus; but the perfect insectis unknown at present. 
The fungus was found in a sandy district, but the exact locality was 
not mentioned, and from its appearance it is not improbable that 
the mode of life and food of the caterpillar are extremely like those 
of the New Zealand entomophytes. It is, however, of a peculiar 
deep reddish purple colour, about three or four inches in length, 
partaking of the same form as the others ; but the shields on the 
thorax differ. The prothorax is almost entirely covered ; the 
mesothorax has a narrow shield, forming a crescent towards the 
anterior margin ; the metathorax is only furnished with a very 
narrow crescent-shaped shield and a subquadrate spot on the side.” 
“FUNGI EXSICCATI” EXCESSES. 
“ Coming events cast their shadows before,” and we fancy that 
we recognize the shadow of the coming collapse of general <l Fungi 
Exsiccati,” by internal evidence supplied by the collections them- 
selves. For the old series by Desmazieres, Mougeot, Klotsch, and 
continuation, and Fuckel, there was a want at the time, which 
they supplied, and gave satisfaction. But nowadays the case is 
different, the number increases, and the quality deteriorates, so 
that at length there is sure to be an outcry of “ no more exsiccati.” 
When the specimens issued are insufficient in quantity, and 
deficient in quality ; when they are preserved and distributed in 
such an imperfect condition that additional labour has to be 
expended upon them to render them of permanent service; when 
the collections, one after the other, include the commonest species, 
over and over again ; when the species, if of interest, is repeated, 
from the self-same locality, in three or four current sets ; when the 
series are extended to such an inordinate length as to exceed the 
resources of the ordinary purchaser, then the end must be near. 
For limited series there may still be a market; for such as 
(l Rehm’s Ascomycetes ” or “ Phillips’ Discomycetes,” or 
“ Plowright’s Spliteriacei ” there was good and sufficient reason ; 
but for an unlimited range over 40,000 species there is no 
excuse. We are led to these remarks by noting a few facts which 
have come within our own experience. Let us take a selection 
from these examples, and upon them we will leave a disinterested 
and unprejudiced mycologist to pronounce judgment. 
Puccinia graminis, in one published series, is represented by 
Nos. 266, 267, 268, 319, 366, 427 ; in another series, by the same 
collector, are Nos. 116, 640, 2,019, 2,635, 2,638, and 3,022. In 
another collection, published simultaneously by another hand, the 
same species appears under Nos. 47, 526, 1,514, and 2,919. 
Pleospora herbarum. In one series we find it under the 
following numbers : 179, 536, 537, 845, 1,160, 1,357, 1,921, 1,922, 
