﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  packed 
  side 
  by 
  side, 
  or 
  distant. 
  And, 
  finally, 
  the 
  

   colour 
  of 
  the 
  spores 
  and 
  (if 
  practicable) 
  their 
  form, 
  

   as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  microscope, 
  should 
  be 
  determined. 
  

  

  This 
  catalogue 
  of 
  desiderata 
  will 
  have 
  intimated 
  the 
  

   points 
  of 
  variation 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  different 
  species 
  of 
  Aga- 
  

   ricus, 
  and 
  which 
  will, 
  some 
  of 
  

   them, 
  be 
  illustrated 
  by 
  the 
  ex- 
  

   amples 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  shall 
  hereafter 
  

   more 
  particularly 
  refer. 
  

  

  The 
  entire 
  mass 
  of 
  Fungi 
  subdivide 
  themselves 
  

   naturally 
  into 
  two 
  great 
  divisions. 
  In 
  one 
  of 
  these, 
  and 
  

   by 
  far 
  the 
  largest, 
  the 
  spores, 
  or 
  reproductive 
  bodies, 
  are 
  

   naked 
  or 
  exposed, 
  generally 
  clus- 
  

   tered 
  in 
  groups 
  of 
  four, 
  or 
  some 
  

   multiple 
  of 
  that 
  number. 
  It 
  will 
  

   be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  in 
  En- 
  

   dogenous 
  plants, 
  three 
  is 
  the 
  mys- 
  * 
  

   tical, 
  typical, 
  or 
  representative 
  number, 
  whilst 
  in 
  

   the 
  alliance 
  of 
  plants 
  now 
  under 
  consideration 
  

   that 
  typical 
  number 
  is 
  four. 
  The 
  first 
  great 
  division 
  

   of 
  fungi, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  spores 
  

   are 
  naked, 
  is 
  termed 
  Spori- 
  

   fera, 
  or 
  spore-bearing. 
  In 
  

   the 
  second, 
  or 
  smaller 
  division, 
  

   the 
  spores 
  are 
  contained 
  in 
  

   bags, 
  or 
  sacs, 
  called 
  asci, 
  

   and 
  the 
  division 
  bears 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Sporidiifera. 
  

  

  The 
  Sporiferous 
  division 
  of 
  fungi, 
  again, 
  contains 
  four 
  

   families, 
  which 
  are 
  arranged 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  following 
  

  

  / 
  

  

  