1 6 INTRODUCTION. 



perfect. Through the advancement of the science by DeBary, 

 Ebighaus, and some German authors, they were not satisfied 

 with the system, and constructed an improvement on a more 

 natural basis, including even lichen, and discarding myxomy- 

 cetes, or slime mould, placing the latter under the animal 

 kingdom. Myogasters are proved to be fungi. Even DeBarj^ 

 himself admitted that the best place for them was amongst 

 fungi. As for lichens, I do not see it possible to have them 

 classed with fungi any more than to have them classed with 

 algae, for they are just as much aerial algae as green fungi. 



As late as 1868, Professor Schwendener first propounded that 

 all and every individual lichen was but a compound organ, 

 consisting of an algse base, with a fungal fructification (that is 

 to say, symbiotic). Rev. J. M. Crombie, in his researches on 

 the lichen gonidia question, came to the same conclusion that 

 a lichen was half algae and the other half fungal. But to 

 accept lichen with fungi would destroy the primary definition 

 of fungi in regard to the chlorophylle, which is present in 

 the lichens and not in fungi. This at once upsets the placing 

 of lichens in the rank of fungi. 



Even Rev. J. M. Crombie has the sympathies of fungologists. 

 The remark, in which his summary closes the subject, in which 

 he characterizes as a " sensational romance of lichenology of 

 the unnatural union between a captive algal damsel and a 

 tyrant fungal master. ' ' The fructification of lichens is very 

 similar to the pyrenomycetous and discomycetous fungi. 

 Rev. M. J. Berkeley's definition for fungi is, viz: Cellular 

 flowerless plants, nourished through their mycelium or spawn, 

 living in the air, propagated by spores ; naked or enclosed, 

 destitute of green gonidia or chlorophylle, by which character 

 they are distinguished from lichens. I do not see any advan- 

 tage to adopt lichen as a group of fungi, since fungologists 

 have sufiicient material for many a life-work for ages to come. 



