oth. Tlie aiiihority for the name is Dext stated. With so many different names often applied to the same 

 Fundus, and even the same name often applied by different authors to entirely different plants, it is necessary to 

 trive the anthority for the particular name, in order to indicate the precise Fungus meant. The name of the 

 aiithorify is usually given in a contracted form, and it will be noticed that it is sometimes printed in italics. The 

 reason of this is that it is customary in works on Fungi often to give two authorities, the first to indicate the 

 original descrilier of the Fungus, aud the second where some one has classified it differently on good scientific 

 grounds. 1 simplv give one authority, the name of the original describer being printed in Roman characters ; and, 

 where the original name has been set aside, the correct classifier is given in italics. The year of publication is 

 also stated. 



As an illustration of the variety of naming, I may mention one kind of Rust of Wheat met with in the 

 colonv, and the following nine names have been given to it by the anthors whose names are appended : — 



Uredo rubigo-vera, De Candolle. 

 Uredo rubigo, Berkeley, 

 Ca?oma rubigo, Link, 

 Trichobasis rubigo-vera, Leveille, 

 Trichobasis glumarum. Leveille, 



Puccinia rubigo-vera, Winter, 

 Puecinia striajformis, Westendorp, 

 Puccinia straminis, Fnekel, 

 ^ecidium asperifolii, Persoou. 



Bv a recognised principle the name of Pv^cinia rubigo-vera is adopted, although Dr. Cooke in his 

 Handbook uses the name of Puccinia straminis. 



6th. The English name follows. This is merely an attempt to give an English rendering to the specific 

 name, and something of the kind is necessary in naming Fungus diseases to the average farmer or fruit-grower ; 

 but, as these diseases become better known as to their cause, some characteristic feature of the disease may be 

 used as a distinguishing name, such as Leaf-curl, Shot-hole, Bitter-rot, Club-root, &c. 



7th. The " Habitat " is next given, the various colonies in which the species have been found being recorded. 

 It has been thought advisable to add B. for British when it occurs there, as there may have been preventives or 

 remedies applied in the old country which it would be profitable for us to know. I make no apology for dealing 

 with Australian Fungi, including the five colonies of the Australian Continent and Tasmania, for Fungi do not 

 respect our political boundaries and restrict themselves to artificial limits. There must be federation in the 

 treatment of disease if it is to be thoroughly effectual, and this has been happily illustrated in dealing with the 

 Rust in Wheat question, in which all the colonies are united for devising measures against a common enemy. 



8th. The "Occurrence" follows, indicating on what plants or parts of plants the different kinds of Fungi may 

 be looked for. This is afterwards collectively shown in the Host-index, each plant having all its known diseases 

 due to Australian Fungi ranged under it. 



9th. " General characters " conclude the whole, giving such superficial and easily -recognised characters as may 

 serve as a guide in the rough discrimination of many species requiring immediate attention to check their spread. 



From the veiy nature of this work and from our present very limited knowledge of the Fungi of Australia there 

 will be constant additions made (in fact, I have quite a number of new species awaiting determination myself), 

 and this will be met by the issue of supplements, when necessary, on the same lines. As Dr. Cooke truly says in 

 his introduction to the Handbook — " It is quite probable that in tlie course of a few years, by working up the 

 minute species, the total number contained in this volume would be more than doubled, even without the 

 investigation of unexplored districts." 



It ought also to be borne in mind that many of the more conspicuous Fungi — such as what are popularly 

 called Mushrooms and Toadstools — work considerable mischief, although unseen and unnoticed. Thus, the Honey 

 Agaric {ArmiUaria mellea), which is even considered edible, does a deal of damage, and by attacking the roots 

 undermines the tree. It spreads from root to root in the soil by means of long purple-black cord-like strands, 

 even in the absence of the tawny-yellow "Toadstools," which are simply the fructification of the Fungus, and I 

 have seen orchard trees killed by this cause. In the soil and in the rotting roots or wood these strands are found, 

 attacking the roots aud bases of stems and often causing copious "gumming" there. The Vegetable Pathologist 

 should therefore not only be more or less conversant with the Fungi of the different colonies, as they spread so 

 readily by means of their spores, but he should be acquainted with Fungi as a whole, since ereu Mushrooms and 

 Toadstools are not beyond his province. 



