1985 - Mycological Society of America

5 8
NOTES AND COMMENTS
ON ANNOTATING SPECIMENS
Amy Y. Rossman offers the following comments and suggestions on the proper annotation of
herbarium specimens.
Whenever a borrowed specimen is examined microscopically, it should be annotated. This is
particularly true of the type specimens which are partially destroyed in the process of
microscopic examination; each worker has thi s obl igation to future mycol ogists. (The micros1 ide
of type material must be returned with the specimen!)
1. Write your evaluation of the materi a1 on special annotation slips or small pieces of paper,
preferably paper with a high rag content. This slip will be permanently included with the
specimen.
2. WRITE LEGIBLY! If your annotation is not legible or is so cryptically abbreviated that no
one can crack the code, your words are worthless.
3. Use a pen with permanent ink or pencil .
4. Write the specimen number or note something about the specimen on the annotation slip so
that if separated, the specimen and slip can be reunited.
5. Place the annotation slip inside the packet or attach it to the packet with a paper clip.
Do not glue the slip to the packet or sheet.
A FOREIGN VISITOR AWARD
P. K. Dub1 ish informs us that every year, one MSA member outside the IJSA will be selected
to visit various laboratories in America at the expense of the Indian Phytopathological
Society. Duration of the visits are yet to be decided, and funding source(s) are currently
bei ng devel oped.
SUMMARY--YID-ATLANTIC
STATES MYCOLOGY CONFERENCE
The Mid-At1 antic States Yycol ogy Conference was held at George Mason University in
Fairfax, Virginia May 4-5. Thirty mycologists from the region met for a day of contributed
papers followed by a foray. The featured speaker was Amy Rossman from the Mycology Laboratory
of the Agricultural Research Service at Beltsville, MD. She spoke on her recent Smithsonian
Institution-sponsored trip to study microfungi in tropical southern Venezuela. The 1986
conference is scheduled for Yay. See Calendar for more.
SPECIMENS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
During the installation of compactors, 15 April 1985 to about 31 March 1986, the
Mycological and Vascular Plant Herbaria of the Biosystematics Research Institute, Agriculture
Canada (DAO, DAOM) specimens will be moved into storage and will not be available for
consul tation. For further information contact: J. A. Parmelee, Curator, Yycol ogical Herbarium,
or W. J. Cody, Curator, Vascular Plant Herbarium.
HELP, PLEASE
Don Prusso, has specimens collected by Gilman Waldee, J. H. Standen, and G. R. Swank from
1936-1938 in "North Woods". He would appreciate hearing from someone who has knowledge of the
location of "North Woods".
To grace the walls of his lab, Terry W. Hill is interested in obtaining a picture of Anton
de Bary or, if no originals can be found, any information on where such a picture may be
available (perhaps as a frontispiece?) for making a photographic copy. See Changes of Address.