﻿OP 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  

  

  shaped 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  fully 
  expanded 
  plant 
  alone 
  being 
  

   considered, 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  he 
  out 
  of 
  place 
  ; 
  hut 
  its 
  

   structural 
  association 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  complete. 
  The 
  genus 
  

   is 
  a 
  large 
  one, 
  and 
  the 
  species 
  exceedingly 
  variable 
  in 
  

   size, 
  some 
  having 
  an 
  expanse 
  of 
  several 
  inches, 
  whilst 
  

   others 
  are 
  microscopically 
  minute. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  dif- 
  

   ference 
  in 
  substance, 
  this 
  genus 
  is 
  subdivided 
  into 
  three 
  

   series, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  contains 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  subgenera. 
  

   Although 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  Pezizas 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  beautiful, 
  

   they 
  are 
  equally 
  useless. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  

   species 
  have 
  been 
  mentioned 
  as 
  affording 
  a 
  wholesome 
  

   and 
  agreeable 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  questionable 
  

   whether 
  they 
  really 
  deserve 
  recommendation. 
  The 
  

   localities 
  on 
  which 
  these 
  fungi 
  are 
  produced 
  are 
  as 
  

   variable 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  themselves 
  in 
  colour 
  and 
  size. 
  A 
  

   great 
  number 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  others 
  on 
  

   damp 
  walls, 
  on 
  the 
  branches 
  and 
  trunks 
  of 
  trees, 
  on 
  

   stumps 
  and 
  decayed 
  wood, 
  on 
  fir-cones, 
  on 
  plaster 
  ceil- 
  

   ings 
  and 
  whitewashed 
  walls, 
  on 
  sticks, 
  rushes, 
  dead 
  

   leaves, 
  and 
  gravel 
  walks. 
  Of 
  those 
  that 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  

   wood, 
  the 
  majority 
  confine 
  themselves 
  to 
  trees 
  of 
  one 
  

   species 
  or 
  genus, 
  whilst 
  a 
  few 
  are 
  less 
  exclusive 
  in 
  their 
  

   " 
  natural 
  selection." 
  

  

  Allied 
  to 
  this 
  genus 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  Helotium, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   disc, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  at 
  first 
  closed 
  as 
  in 
  Peziza, 
  is 
  

   always 
  open 
  : 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  less 
  numerous, 
  but 
  the 
  

   localities 
  are 
  similar. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  both 
  

   genera 
  may 
  be 
  collected 
  and 
  dried 
  by 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  

   air, 
  and 
  kept, 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  cotton 
  wool 
  that 
  

   has 
  been 
  dipped 
  in, 
  or 
  sprinkled 
  with, 
  oil 
  of 
  turpentine, 
  

  

  