510 WILD TLOWEKS OF 



wood, resembling an air bubble encircled with a ring 

 of the minutest pearl beads. Others are like minute 

 Roman urns, shells, or saucers ; a few are even globu- 

 lar and wax-like. 



The "Jew's-ear' ; (JExidia Auricula- Judce}, is a 

 singular brown flabby fungus occurring on old elder- 

 trees, and so called from its plaited surface frequently 

 exhibiting the form and depressions incident to the 

 human ear. Witches' Butter (Exidia glandulosa) in 

 greenish or black gelatinous masses, is another species 

 not uncommon on fallen branches of trees. Paste 

 and froth are similated by some fungi ; and mildews, 

 moulds, &c., are only other forms of this singular 

 omnipresent and versatile parasitical vegetation. 



Several of the Fungi have subterranean habitats, as 

 the Sclerodermata, and the curious Truffle, which 

 usually grows beneath the shade of Beech trees, 

 whence it is scented out by dogs trained for that pur- 

 pose. NEES VOK ESSENBECK mentions a poor crippled 

 German boy who could detect truffles in the earth 

 with a certainty superior to the best dogs, and so 

 earned a livelihood. 



It seems to be the allotted office of the Fungi to 

 disperse organic matter into the smallest possible 

 particles, and with the view to their dissemination, 

 several tribes have mechanical contrivances not un- 

 worthy of attention. Every body is familiar with the 

 puff-ball, or " devil's snuff-box," whose subtle powder 

 pervades the air at the slightest touch, though few, 

 perhaps, consider the millions of sporules they thus 

 playfully set at liberty, will, in due time, develop 

 other structures, as large as the parent plant from 

 whence they arose, although now seemingly dissipated 



