INTRODUCTION . I 5 



111 giving a list of fungi of a locality, it can not be considered 

 complete without some systematic arrangement or classifica- 

 tion, which these plants received by botanists. 



The first classification, that was truly systematic, was made 

 by Elias Fries, of Sweden, the same nativity of Carl von 

 Linne, the father of the flowering plants. It is a peculiar coin- 

 cidence that these two men, Fries and Linneus, both native of 

 the same country, should be instrumental in first arranging 

 these beautiful objects of creation into groups and families. 

 Linneus, the father of Phsenogamia botany, and Fries the father 

 of Crytogamia botany. Fries first announced his system of 

 classification in his " Systema Mycologicum," which formed 

 the basis to all subsequent arrangement into groups and fami- 

 lies. His system is still worth studying. But it has been 

 greatly improved to meet the requirements of the more recent 

 microscopical researches. Lindley Berkley, Cooke, DeBary, 

 and Sach, each had their fancies. Fries first noticed a com- 

 parison in the formation of the spores, that of having them 

 free resting on a basidio or stalk, and spores enclosed in a sack 

 or pouch. This character forms the basis for a comparison. 

 The former he classed under the name of sporifera, the latter 

 under sporidifera. The spores of the former he called spores, 

 the contents of the latter sporidia. This comparison is anom- 

 alous with exogens and endogens of the Phsenogam division. 



The sporifera group branches into four different classes, viz: 

 Hymenomycetes, with the hymen exposed. Gastromycetes, 

 with the hymen enclosed in a covering called a peridium. 

 Coniomycetes, or dusty spores fungi, including rusty brands, 

 etc. Hyphomycetes, thread fungi, moulds, etc. 



Sporidifera has two subdivisions, Ascomycetes and Physo- 

 mycetes. 



This is really a very natural grouping with a few artificial 

 exceptions. It was the system in vogue for many years. All 

 authors on mycology made use of it. Cook, Berkeley called it 



