INTRODUCTION. 



Fungi are crytogamic plants belonging, together with algae 

 and lichens, to the group of Thallophytes. Fungi, the plural, 

 is pronounced with the^ soft, as funji. Fungus, the singular, 

 with^ hard, as in gum. 



Fungi are by far the most numerous of the group ; it is easier 

 to tell where they do not grow than where they do grow. To 

 say that fungi are to be found everj^where would not be 

 strictly true, but to say where they are not to be found would 

 be puzzling. Not only are they to be found in shady woods, 

 mossy dells, secluded lanes, fence corners, etc., but we meet 

 with them in all situations where vegetable life is possible. 

 They are both saprophytic and parasitic — saprophytic, growing 

 on dead vegetable and animal matter ; parasitic, growing on 

 living vegetable and animal matter. We need not travel far 

 from home to find specimens of our research. The unwelcome 

 dry rot beneath our kitchen floors ; the different species of 

 mould infesting our preserved fruits ; the yeast for raising 

 our bread and brewing our beer ; the mother of vinegar for 

 our vinegar, are all due to fungi. From cesspool and sewers 

 the minute dust- like spores rise into our dwellings unseen ; they 

 float into the air, producing disease and death. It is strongly 

 proved that diphtheria, consumption, typhoid fever, are nothing 

 more or less than the ravages of fungi spores. 



Since fungi are so universal and play such an important part 

 in the economy of nature, it behooves not only the botanist, 

 but the physician, agriculturist or florist, to study them, get 

 acquainted with their structure, life history, name, and their 

 haunts, etc. 



I know well that as a class those interesting objects of* 



