272 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
"with descriptions, of such Fungusses as they may meet with ;
"and generally, to bring into notice a Tribe of Vegetables,
"which, notwithstanding the advanced state of knowledge at
"the present period, may be called Botanical Outcasts.
"It was observed by Linnaeus, in his Philosophia Botanica,
"about seventy years ago, that the Order of Fungi, to the
"disgrace of art [science], was then a chaos ; Botanists being
"ignorant what might be a species, what a variety. This
"remark will apply at the present time, although, certainly,
"considerable attention has, by some Botanists, been paid to
"Mycology ; several works entirely on that part of Botany,
"having of late years been published by them, containing
"excellent Figures of numerous species of Fungusses.
"B. M. F.
"24th July, 1820."
It is surprising that with such a sound outlook on Mycology
B. M. Forster did not publish more on the subject : about
twenty-three pages of print is a very small output for a man
of his calibre to show for fifty years' study. It would be
interesting to unearth the "remarks" he mentions in his letter
to J. E. Smith and the drawings referred to by his nephew.
Walthamstow, 23rd October, 1802.
Dear Sir,
I hope we may conclude that by this time your complaint
in your face is nearly if not entirely well, for we have for
some time past heard from Mr. Sowerby and other of your
acquaintances of your amendment—I suppose you have heard
that Mr. Dillwyn is going to reside in Wales. I think his work
on Conferva is likely to be delayed on that account, for he
will I imagine be very much engaged in business—I shall be
obliged to you at your leisure if you will inform me whether
the Fungi part of your Flora is likely to be sent to Press this
winter as I am looking over English Fungi and, making
such remarks as occur to me, which when done I intend
sending to you, as perhaps some circumstances may occur
to me which you may overlook. The figures in the work
are certainly in general very good, but Mr. Sowerby falls short
very much in the Letter press for as he has not attempted
a specific character, I should have given some tolerably full
description. I fear he has figured the same individual under