An Elementary Text-book of British Fungi

Abstract

WE have little sympathy with such publishers as produce books written “to order” for the purpose of utilising illustrations, or matching. Still, we cannot help feeling some sympathy with, and pity for, the poor unfortunate who is called upon to perform such an unthankful office as the preparation of “copy.” In so far as the book before us corresponds with such conditions our author commands our sympathy, perhaps he deserves it, for even in the preface he seems to fall on his knees, and sue, in formâ pauperis, for pity from readers and critics alike. There is doubtless a history connected with this volume. The woodcut blocks which accompany the text, but do not illustrate it, formerly did duty in the “Hand-book of Fungi” published more than fifteen years ago. In the way of business they were transferred, and, in order to utilise them, the “Text-book” seems to have been projected. There are 64 pages of figures and 238 pages of letterpress, but only about 16 pages of the plates have anything to do with the letterpress, and are not even mentioned, so that there are no less than upwards of 40 plates which are supplementary to the letterpress, and have nothing whatever to do with it, except to increase the bulk of the book. We do not know what purchasers would expect to meet with in “an elementary text-book of British fungi,” but we suspect that they would scarcely be satisfied with a “treatise on edible and poisonous fungi,” or, as set forth in the preface, an attempt “to cover as comprehensively and accurately as possible the entire subject of fungi, considered as aliment.” Indeed, it would have been more correct to call this “An Elementary Text-book of some Species of British Fungi.”

An Elementary Text-book of British Fungi.

By William Delisle Hay Royal 8vo, cloth, illustrated. (London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey, and Co.,1887.)