191 1J The Ottawa Naturalist. 131 



is, I believe I am correct in stating, one of practical knowledge 

 rather than of scientific conception. This knowledge again is 

 mainly based on personal observations of such common forms 

 as moulds, which are met with in all places and of probably 

 some of the more prominent symptoms noticeable on vegetation, 

 resulting from the attacks of parasitic fungi, than by the actual 

 study of these forms. Of these latter the rust and smut fungi, 

 no doubt, are the best known forms. 



Many of the microscopic forms of fungi which we may find 

 on dead plants and parts of plants, have appeared considerably 

 like moulds on clothing, wallpaper, bread, etc. i.e., they have 

 not been responsible for the death of the plant. These fungi 

 have been designated as saprophytes and are by their mode of 

 life distinguished from parasitic fungi which are capable not only 

 of attacking living plant tissues, but also of maintaining them- 

 selves from the food manufactured by the attacked plant for 

 its own use, which partnership frequentlv results in serious 

 injury or death of the host plant. 



Microscopic fungi as the name indicates are extremely 

 minute organisms whose study necessitates a more or less 

 powerful microscope. Indeed, we will find, that notwithstand- 

 ing the minuteness of these objects, some are of a decidedly 

 complicated structure. The use of a microscope will readily 

 reveal a \xgetative and a generative portion in each of these 

 individuals. 



The vegetative part of fungi is analogous in a certain degree 

 to the roots, stem, branches and leaves of higher organized plants 

 inasmuch at any rate as the vegetative parts of a fungus are 

 responsible for the taking up of food required for its own use. 

 The vegetative portions of fungi consist of very fine, branched, 

 more or less long, transparent or coloured tubes, which may be 

 likened to a human hair or fine capillary glass tubes. These 

 tubes are technically known as vegetative hyphae. They are 

 exceedingly small, measuring often less than a two-thousandth 

 part of an inch in breadth, while their length may vary from a 

 twenty-fifth of an inch to large dense masses covering whole 

 parts of plants. The contents of these tubes consist of pro- 

 toplasm which is in many cases partitioned off by means of 

 small separating walls or septa. The hyphae may develop 

 within the tissues of plants or cover their surface; collectively 

 they are spoken of as the mycelium. . 



As soon as the vegetative part of a fungus has had time to 

 undergo a certain development or growth, the generative portion 

 is produced. This consists of the reproductive organs or fruc- 

 tification which may be of very diverse construction, but which 

 like the seeds in flowering plants, serves the purpose of reproduc- 



