AND THEIR ANALOGUES. 41 
more richly furnished than all the other families of Basidiomycetes), 
it is difficult to understand why they have been placed among the 
Jungi imperfecti—that is, amongst the fungi of which the repro- 
ductive cycle is ineomplete, or, in other words, of which the most 
perfect fertile form is still unknown. M. Fuckel, indeed, says 
that the indisputable connexion between some of the Tremelli- 
neous fungi and the Ascomycetes leads to a suspicion as to the 
autonomy of the remainder*. This reasoning would be specious 
if the matter in question were true Tremellineous plants; but 
although, for instance, the Coryne sarcoides assumes, under one 
of its forms, the appearance of a Tremella, and therefore has 
been, for a long while, considered a legitimate Tremella, it by 
no means follows that all the Tremellineous fungi are to be assi- 
milated to this production, which has been so long doubtful. If 
the organization of the gemmiparous or spermatophorous Coryne 
sarcoides be compared with that of Tremella mesenterica and its 
congeners, it will certainly be impossible to deny various similari- 
ties; but we may justly refuse to admit a real analogy until one 
or other, at least, of the two following circumstances has been 
positively observed, viz. the existence in Coryne sarcoides of a 
system of bisporous or tetrasporous basidia, like that of the 
Fungi tremellinet, or the presence in Tremella mesenterica, or in 
any other true Tremella, of ascophorous disks, such as the cups of 
the Pezize, and especially of Peziza sarcoides. Solong as nothing 
of this kind has been seen, it is better to consider the Tremelle 
and their analogues to be complete or perfect fungi, and as well 
known, at least, as the Agaricineous or any group whatever of 
Basidiomycetes. 
X. Before we bring these notes to a close, it will be, perhaps, 
expedient to mention a fungus thoroughly Tremellineous in its 
consistency, but which, by its ramified shape and fructification, 
seems to be completely separated from the legitimate Tremelle. 
We mean Ceratium hydnoides, an almost ephemeral production 
which is well known to all mycologists, although hitherto no incon- 
testable affinities have been found for it. Its small branches, simple 
or ramified, seem to be destroyed and to disappear at the least touch, 
and they are all bristling with little monosporous spicules: its 
organization reminds one almost exactly of Rhopalomyces Berk. ; 
and as these spicules are probably merely a secondary apparatus 
of fructification of fungi of higher order, may we not suppose 
* Seo Fuckel, Symb. Mycol. pp. 4, 5, 10, 402, 403, e? passim. 
