44 
LITERATURE. 
to recommend Mr. Massee’s new book to everybody interested in 
British fungi. It has come to fill a vacant place, and, we doubt 
not, will fill that place with satisfaction, and the quicker the 
remaining volumes follow the first one the better will all be pleased. 
It is the most pretentious work that Mr. Massee has yet attempted, 
and, personal idiosyncrasies notwithstanding, we believe him fully 
competent to carry it out to a successful termination. 
M. C. Cooke. 
North American Pyrenomycetes * 
This volume, for some time promised and expected, has at 
length appeared, and, as far as we can judge, it will amply fulfil 
all expectations. It would be worse than presumption to pronounce 
a decided opinion on the merits of a book like this at a casual 
glance. It can only be a work of time, consequent upon a close 
acquaintance, acquired by use and investigation, that all the labour 
and the care with which that labour has been applied will become 
manifest. One of the authors has long been known to us, and 
esteemed by us, as a careful investigator, and we have great faith 
that this volume will exhibit the perseverance and careful research 
which has been expended in its production. It is a manifest 
advantage that instead of attempting a general “ Handbook ” our 
authors have confined themselves to one important mycologic 
group, and concentrated their energies on the Pyrenomycetes. 
Nearly 800 pages of letter-press, with 41 plates, is no mean 
contribution to North American Mycology, and we are glad to 
think that it is the most important work on Mycology yet pub- 
lished in the United States. The type is clear and good, the 
descriptions ample, and the measurements, especially of the sporidia, 
are universally given wherever they could be ascertained. We 
are led to conclude that these measurements have been actually 
determined from American specimens, which, therefore, adds to 
their value. If we say that we do not fully appreciate the arrange- 
ment we may be excused, since we have not yet found a key to the 
principle upon which that arrangement is based. The old Friesian 
arrangement recognized a principle, which was intelligible, 
although insufficient, based on external characters. The Saccardian 
arrangement again follows a principle, which is at least intelligible, 
although we have objected that it is too artificial. The present 
arrangement is neither the one nor the other, and in the absence of 
such a key to the genera as Saccardo gives undereach section, con- 
fusing and unsatisfactory. Not having accepted Saccardo’s arrange- 
ment, we suggest that our authors should have given some exposi- 
tion and vindication of their own. As far as we have professed to 
form an opinion, we consider this the weakest portion of the 
volume. Nevertheless, it is a valuable tl contribution.” 
M. C. C. 
* “ The North American Pyrenomycetes,” a contribution to Mycologic 
Botany, by J. B. Ellis and B. M. Everhart. 8o., with 41 plates. New 
Jersey. 1892. 
