246 



On Black Moulds. 

 By M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., A.L.S. 



(Read February 23rd, 1877.) 



Plates XXIV. to XXVII. 



There is one difficulty to be encountered by those who persistently 

 devote themselves to the study of any special subject, that, when 

 they rise to read a paper, it is at once concluded that they are at 

 the " same old game," and that, consequently, nothing new or 

 interesting can be anticipated. I have hesitated myself for a long- 

 time, and resisted all efforts to induce me to present my unpopular 

 and rather mouldy subject before the Club, lest by iteration I should 

 weary the members of a subject, difficult in itself, limited in its 

 students, and unpopular in its general character. After a long 

 silence, however, I now feel that amongst the varied subjects which 

 are brought before the Club the time has arrived when a Fungolo- 

 gical subject may be introduced with advantage, and the promise of 

 two years' standing may be redeemed. 



As to the subject itself, I was for some time in doubt what 

 portion of the vast range of Mycology would best meet the require- 

 ments of the Club. At first I proposed to illustrate the Potato 

 disease ; but this was soon abandoned, on the ground that so much 

 had been written upon it during the past year or two, that if the 

 general student were not really tired of it, at least sufficient had 

 been done to make him acquainted with all he desired to know, as 

 necessarily I must have repeated a great deal which had been 

 written, and was at the ready command of all who felt any interest 

 in the matter. 



When it is remembered that there are not less than twenty 

 thousand good species of Fungi known and described, it will be 

 admitted that a general gossip over the whole, with a sort of run- 

 ning commentary on their nature, uses, classification, and structure, 

 would occupy a long evening, and leave no satisfactory impression at 

 its close, since all this has been compressed into a volume which any 



