NOTE.--In the Friesian arrangement of the genera of the order Agaricini, which is adopted by M. C. Cooke, Hypholoma finds place as a subgenus of the genus Agaricus, spore series Pratelli. Saccardo in his Sylloge elevates Hypholoma to the rank of a separate genus and places it in his spore series Melanosporae. [Illustration: Plate IX. EDIBLE Agaricus (Hypholoma) _Candollianus_, Fries., variety _incertus_ Peck Figured from specimens collected in the District of Columbia T. Taylor, del.] PLATE IX. =Agaricus (Hypholoma) incertus= Peck. (_Hypholoma incertum_.) EDIBLE. Cap fleshy but fragile, smooth and hygrophanous, moist; at first convex, then expanding; color creamy white. Gills adnate, narrow, crowded, whitish in young specimens, turning to a pinkish dun color, later to a rosy cinnamon, sometimes showing when mature a slightly purplish tint. Stem smooth, slender, long and hollow, with slight striations near the apex, white. Specimens occur in which the stem is obscurely annulate arising from the attachment to it of fragments of the veil, but usually it is ringless. The typical species of Hypholoma have the fleshy part of the cap confluent with the stem, but in H. _incertum_ the stem is not confluent and is easily separated from the cap as in the Lepiotas. This mushroom was first recorded by Peck in his early reports as the variety "_incertus_" of the species Agaricus (Hypholoma) Candollianus, but has since been recorded by Saccardo as a distinct species, Hypholoma incertum. Two species of Hypholoma have the same habit and sufficiently resemble _incertum_ to be taken for it, if not carefully examined as to points of difference. These are H. _Candollianum_, named in honor of A. De Candolle, and H. _appendiculatum_. In the first named of these two species the cap is whitish, the gills at first violet in color, changing to dark cinnamon brown. In H. appendiculatum the pileus is rugose when dry, and sprinkled with atoms. It is darker in color than that of H. incertum; Cooke says tawny or pale ochre; Massee says bay, then tawny. The gills are sub-adnate, in color resembling those of H. incertum; stem slender, smooth, and white. From the foregoing it will be seen that H. _incertum_ agrees more nearly with H. _Candollianum_ in the color of the cap, but more nearly with H. _appendiculatum_ in the color of the gills. Saccardo recognizes the three as "distinct species of the _genus Hypholoma_." As all are edible, the slight differences observed are interesting chiefly to the mycologist. The mycophagist will find them equally valuable from a gastronomic point of view. In taste they resemble the common mushroom. They are more fragile, however, and require less cooking than the cultivated mushroom. Broiled on toast or cooked for ten minutes in a chafing dish, they make a very acceptable addition to the lunch menu.