316 
Mycologia 
as it did last year in the greatest abundance on a new street east 
of the New York Botanical Garden which was heavily surfaced 
with topsoil and allowed to grow up in weeds. Under similar 
conditions, Mr. George E. Pollock found great quantities of this 
species at Holmesdale, Massachusetts, growing in tufts almost as 
close as those of Coprinus atramentarins. 
The giant puffball, Calvatia maxima, also appears to have been 
unusually abundant this year. One specimen was found on the 
grounds of the Garden, and a very attractive group developed in 
Mr. Boeder’s yard in Williamsbridge, just north of the Garden 
reservation. Photographs of this group made by Mrs. Boeder 
have been added to the mycological collection. Another recent 
addition is a photograph of a giant puffball from Sendai, Japan, 
taken by Professor A. Yasuda. 
The common field puffball, Calvatia cyathiformis, about the 
size of one’s fist and very safe for the amateur mycophagist, was 
abundant early in October. 
Plcurotus ulmarius has been more abundant than usual, grow- 
ing from knotholes and wounds in elm trees. The white elm has 
suffered greatly in this vicinity from the attacks of the leaf-beetle, 
borer, and other causes. In its weakened condition, it cannot 
easily withstand the invasion of fungi. 
The fly agaric. Amanita muscaria, appeared in greater abun- 
dance than ever before, under the white pines on the grounds of 
the Garden. Yellow forms prevailed, while many specimens were 
almost white, and very few showed a decided orange tint. Many 
years ago, the Italian immigrants are said to have eaten this 
species by mistake for Amanita Caesarea, but there is no evidence 
that they do this now. The large number of deaths from mush- 
room eating in New York in recent years has undoubtedly been 
due to mistaking the white form of Amanita phalloides for the 
ordinary field mushroom or some other edible fungus. Armillaria 
mellea, when growing singly in soil, might at times be confused 
with a pale form of Amanita muscaria by ignorant collectors, 
who would hardly notice the cottony ring of the former and the 
patches instead of scales on the surface of the latter. 
W. A. Murrill. 
