Transactions British Mycological Society

species that have been described as a result of the interest stimulated since the first
appearance of the manual.
The print is clear and the binding solid and serviceable. A little of the definition of
the photographs and line drawings has been lost, but they are still of a high standard.
The colour plates of the original tended to emphasize the blue element and an effort
appears to have been made to offset this. They now tend to be slightly grey.
The price of $27 will no doubt make some workers hesitate, but it is a 'must' for
anyone who has not already got a copy and wishes to study the genus Penicillium.
AGNES H. S. ONIONS

A Compilation of Descriptions of New Penicillium Species. By M. M. KULIK.

Agric. Handb. agric. Res. Seru., U.S.D.A. no. 351 (Washington: U.S.
Government Printing Office, 1968.) Pp. iv + 80. Price: $0.40.
It is perhaps fortunate, as we can only have a reprint of Raper & Thom's A manual of
the Penicillia rather than a new edition, that Dr Kulik has collected together in one place
the descriptions of all the species (114) of Penicillium described since 1949. This he has
done with considerable success, as I have been unable to trace any he has missed.
Not only does Dr Kulik record all the descriptions, but he gives translations of them
into English including those from the Russian and Japanese. He includes a key to the
species based on the classification of Raper & Thom and prepared from the descriptions
of the species.
The list is quite impartial and contains species with valid Latin diagnoses side by side
with those with no such diagnosis. No comments on the validity of the species or other-
wise are made by Dr Kulik himself, but reference to opinions of other authors is made.
Copies of the original drawings and photographs of the species are not included, but at
40 cents a copy, this compilation is very good value. AGNES H. S. ONIONS

Nouvelles Investigations sur les Champignons Haliucinogenes. By R. HElM,

R. CAILLEUX, R. G. WASSON and P. THEVENARD. Archs Mus. natn.
Hist. nat., Ser. 7,9, 111-220, 11 plates (6 col.), 34 fig., 1 map. (Paris:
Editions du Museum National d'Histoire N aturelle, 1967.) Price:
170 fro
This sumptuous work is a sequel ofHeim, Wasson and collaborators' 'Les Champignons
hallucinogenes du Mexique', 1958. It is divided into the following chapters: 'Eight
years of new investigations on hallucinogenic fungi of the world' by Heim; 'Comple-
mentary studies on Mexican hallucinogenic Psilocybes, wild and cultured forms' by Heim
& Cailleux; 'Complementary descriptive notes on some hallucinogenic agarics' by
Heim; 'The narcotic Lycoperdons of the Mixtecs' by Heim & Wasson; 'New experiments
on ingestion of hallucinogenic Psilocybes' by Heim & Thevenard; and 'Conclusions'
by Heim.
The most notable chapters are those containing additional descriptive material of
eleven species of hallucinogenic Psilocybes including species from Europe, New Guinea
and Quebec. In addition to morphological data, the methods by which many of them
have been grown in culture and induced to produce more or less normal carpophores
are described. To have succeeded in doing this is surely a most remarkable achievement
by Professor Heim and his staff.
Another notable chapter is that describing the experiences of various subjects under
the influence of psilocybine, and the drug's remarkable effect on their subsequent beha-
viour. To one not normally concerned with this type of drug and its effects, this chapter
looks at first sight most exciting. The hallucinations are recounted and commented
upon with a breathless earnestness of style which would do credit to Francoise Sagan,
but which, perhaps intentionally, precludes all objectivity. Oddly, too, the figures pur-
porting to be from original drawings by the subjects seem to be artists' impressions of
what was really drawn under the influence of the drugs: this does seem to be extending
subjectivity too far.
 Reviews
However, this is not to say that the drawings themselves are at fault, here or anywhere
else in this lavishly illustrated work. Whether they are outline drawings of Lycoperdons,
coloured reproductions of part of the Codex Vindobonensis, hand-finished colour prints of
agarics, or photomicrographs of spores, all are superb. D. M. DRING

Diciondrio Micoldgico. By OSWALDO FIDALGO and MARIA ENEYEDA P. K.

FIDALGO. (Rickia, suppl, 2.) (Sao Paulo: Instituto de Botanica, 1967.)
Pp. 232 + 19 pp. of diagrams.
Snell & Dick's justly famous glossary opens with words of Samuel Johnson's to the
effect that whilst most writers may aspire to praise, the lexicographer can only hope to
escape reproach. One wonders what is the destiny of the reviewer of a dictionary: good
though this one seems to me, somebody is bound to find his favourite word missing from
the text or defined otherwise than he would have it. Even one of my unfavourite words,
'epiphytotic', which I take to mean an 'epidemic' among plants, is conveyed in a
different way.
This dictionary follows the same lines as Snell & Dick, but not only is it much more
extensive and complete but the precision of the language gives the definitions greater
incisiveness and clarity. Incidentally, the fact that it is in Portuguese need dissuade no
one; it is easier to comprehend than are most dictionaries. There is slight confusion in
the compilers' minds as to which categories of taxonomic names to include. Some orders
and a few families are given entries, but I was unable to decide what had been the basis
for selection. Thus, 'Podaxales', a doubtfully useful concept by any standards, occurs,
whereas the taxonomically unequivocal' Eccrinales' is omitted in its alphabetical place
but mentioned elsewhere under the vernacular entry 'ecrinideo'; 'Taphrinales' gives
a cross-reference to 'Exoascales', the latter having no entry.
There are seventeen pages of mycological illustrations, which the compilers have
arranged in alphabetical order of their subject, but the unfortunate result has been
that drawings of the features of the carpophores of agarics are spread over twelve of
these pages intermingled with other matter to such a degree as to make it very difficult
to locate anything. Two pages of structural formulae for some of the more frequently
encountered metabolic products peculiar to fungi are given, providing quite a useful
quick reference.
I do not wish to leave a bad impression of this book. What faults it has, will, one
supposes, be corrected in a second edition. The very care and precision of the entries
have earned for the Fidalgos the 'Joao Ribeiro Award' for 1968 of the Brazilian Academy
of Letters. This prize could not have been better awarded and our congratulations are
due to the authors, both in achieving this distinction and compiling an excellent
dictionary. D. M. DRING

Title Abbreviations for Some Common Mycological Taxonomic Publications.

Biblphy system. Mycol. (Suppl.), January 1969. Pp, 13. Price 5s.
This helpful list of books, monographs, discontinued serials and floras has been prepared
by staff of the Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, in an attempt to reduce the
variation in citation of standard works of reference. About 260 publications are listed
with their proposed abbreviations and it is recommended that the abbreviated title
should be used in conjunction with the authors' names, page number and date, e.g,
Albertini & Schweinitz, Consp. Fung.: 123, 1805.