370 EEVIEWS. 



cussed in the concluding portion of the 8th chapter, where there will 

 also be found some comments upon the questions, whether Fungi 

 have true roots, and whether such a thing as a unicellular fungus 

 exists. To both of these questions the authors incline to give a nega- 

 tive answer, qualifying the latter however with the remark, " 



merito qu»rat quispiam cur Fungi quum'AIgis indubia, imo proxima 

 conjungantur necessitudine, parem structurse simpHcitatem quando- 

 que etiam non exliibeant." ^ 



The controversy with regard to the existence of sexes in fungi 

 may be dismissed in a few words. Although the recent observa- 

 tions of Hofmeister and De Bary point to the probability of the 

 occurrence of some process such as that which takes place in Achlya 

 and the allied Algse, it is premature to speak, as Bail has lately done, 

 of the discovery of sexuality in the Tuberacei, ks if it were a fait 

 acco7npli. With regard to Hofmeister' s observations they really 

 amount to little more than the suggestion of a probability, and 

 although De Bary's go somewhat further, much remains to be done 

 for the solution of this great mycological problem. In fact, the 

 opinion (as old as the time of Micheli) which attributes male func- 

 tions to the cystidia of the Agaricini, and Klotzsch's more recent sug- 

 gestioos as to the paraphyses of the Discomycetes, can hardly be yet 

 said to be displaced. No prudent mycologist will be disposed to quarrel 

 with the authors' conclusions when they say, " Ideo ad hoc sevi non 

 longe processit notitia nostra de Fxmgorum organis sexualibus, si 

 qua sunt ;" nor mth their further argument, that inasmuch as no one 

 doubts the existence of sexes in AlgaB, there are therefore legitimate 

 reasons for suspecting their presence in Fimgi, a suspicion which is 

 confirmed by a well-groxmded confidence in the manifest harmony of 

 nature. 



The concluding chapter of the " Prolegomena" consists only of a 

 few remarks on the present condition of mycology and the most 

 desirable means of advancing the science. The systematic portion 

 (occupying only about a sixth part of the present voliune) is limited 

 to the Erysiphei, and contains copious descriptions, accompanied by 

 exquisite figures, of the typical species. The plates are five in num- 

 ber, and surpass if possible in beauty even those in the " Fungi 

 hypogsei." 



That the authors may have health and leisure for the speedy pro- 

 duction of the concluding volumes of this remarkable work will, we 

 are sure, be the earnest wish of all mycologists. 



