﻿IV 
  PREFACE. 
  

  

  Scientific 
  Series.' 
  Microscopical 
  species, 
  especially 
  those 
  

   found 
  growing 
  on 
  living 
  plants, 
  arc 
  illustrated 
  in 
  a 
  com- 
  

   panion 
  volume 
  to 
  the 
  present, 
  entitled, 
  'Kust, 
  Smut, 
  Mil- 
  

   dew, 
  and 
  Mould;' 
  whereas 
  an 
  enumeration 
  of 
  all 
  British 
  

   Fungi 
  known 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  its 
  publication 
  will 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  Author's 
  'Handbook 
  of 
  British 
  Fungi.' 
  The 
  

   pages 
  of 
  the 
  'Popular 
  Science 
  Review' 
  will 
  also 
  be 
  found 
  

   to 
  contain 
  various 
  contributions 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  pen, 
  which 
  

   serve 
  to 
  illustrate 
  phases 
  and 
  sections 
  of 
  this 
  extended 
  

   subject. 
  

  

  When 
  it 
  is 
  remembered 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  scarecly 
  

   less 
  than 
  four 
  thousand 
  species 
  of 
  fungi 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  

   inhabit 
  our 
  islands, 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  conceded 
  that 
  a 
  small 
  

   volume 
  like 
  this 
  can 
  only 
  pretend 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  an 
  intro- 
  

   duction 
  to 
  more 
  elaborate 
  works. 
  In 
  one 
  sense, 
  however, 
  

   the 
  present 
  volume 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  ample, 
  since 
  it 
  

   contains, 
  as 
  its 
  main 
  feature, 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  edible 
  

   and 
  poisonous 
  kinds, 
  with 
  tho 
  best 
  advice 
  which 
  could 
  

   be 
  afforded 
  for 
  their 
  discrimination. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  tho 
  same 
  words 
  may 
  be 
  employed 
  as 
  

   terminated 
  the 
  first 
  preface: 
  

  

  " 
  Let 
  me 
  assure 
  the 
  student 
  that 
  all 
  times, 
  seasons, 
  and 
  

   localities 
  will 
  afford 
  him 
  some 
  species 
  for 
  examination; 
  

   and 
  whether 
  he 
  lias 
  felt 
  interested 
  in 
  them 
  before, 
  or 
  now, 
  

   for 
  the 
  firs! 
  time, 
  adopts 
  these 
  interesting 
  plants 
  as 
  objects 
  

   worthy 
  of 
  his 
  special 
  regard, 
  I 
  would 
  commend 
  them 
  to 
  

   his 
  patient 
  and 
  persevering 
  attention, 
  in 
  the 
  assurance 
  

   ■".Vet 
  this 
  pursuit 
  will 
  'had 
  from 
  joy 
  to 
  joy.' 
  " 
  

  

  M. 
  C. 
  COOKE. 
  

   Upj'cr 
  Uolloway, 
  London, 
  X 
  

  

  