46 MICROSCOPIC FUNGI. 



fifth of his ''Flora Cantabrigensis," and Hudson 

 •one-fourtli of liis " Flora Anglica/^ with the Cryp- 

 togamia. At the present time_, it will be seen that, 

 with a liberal allowance for " hair-splitting/^ the 

 number of British species of flowering plants 

 scarcely more than equals the number of Fungi 

 alone, not to mention ferns, mosses, algae, and 

 lichens ; and we lately had no " Flora " which con- 

 tained them, and but a minority of our botanistf= 

 know anything about them. If we need excuse for 

 directing attention to some of the most interesting 

 of these plants, let the above remarks suffice in lieu 

 of formal apology. 



" Mildew " is just one of those loose terms which 

 represent no definite idea, or a very different one 

 to different individuals. Talk of mildew to a 

 farmer, and instantly he scampers mentally over 

 his fields of standing corn in search of the brown 

 lines or irregular spots which indicate the unwel- 

 come presence of Puccinia graminis, known to him, 

 and to generations of farmers before him, as ''mil- 

 dew.-^ Try to convince a Norfolk farmer that any- 

 thing else is " mildew,^^ and he will consider you 

 insane for your pains. Speak of mildew in your 

 own domestic circle, and inquire of wives, or 

 daughters, or servants, what it means, and without 

 hesitation another, and even more minute species 

 of fungus, which attacks damp linen, will be indi- 

 cated as the true mildew, to the exclusion of all 

 others ; and with equal claims to antiquity. Go to 



