﻿18 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  distinctive 
  features 
  : 
  — 
  In 
  one 
  family, 
  the 
  hymenium, 
  

   whether 
  distributed 
  over 
  gills, 
  tubes, 
  pores, 
  or 
  fissures, 
  

   is 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  object. 
  Hence 
  these 
  are 
  called 
  

   Hymenomycetes, 
  a 
  word 
  compounded 
  of 
  hymenium 
  and 
  

   mycetes, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  the 
  Greek 
  term 
  for 
  fungi 
  : 
  

   so 
  that 
  these 
  might 
  be 
  called 
  Hymenium-fungi 
  ; 
  of 
  

   which 
  the 
  common 
  mushroom 
  may 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  an 
  

   example. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  second 
  family 
  the 
  hymenium 
  is 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  

   peridium, 
  or 
  case, 
  which 
  seldom 
  ruptures 
  before 
  the 
  

   spores 
  are 
  ripe. 
  To 
  this 
  family 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Gastero- 
  

   mycetes 
  is 
  given 
  ; 
  from 
  gaster 
  a 
  belly, 
  because 
  the 
  hy- 
  

   menium, 
  with 
  all 
  the 
  reproductive 
  bodies, 
  are 
  enclosed 
  

   in 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  uterus 
  or 
  womb, 
  from 
  whence 
  they 
  are 
  

   expelled 
  when 
  mature. 
  Of 
  this 
  family, 
  the 
  puff-balls 
  

   may 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  an 
  example. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  third 
  family, 
  which 
  contains 
  very 
  minute 
  

   individuals, 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  conspicuous 
  bodies 
  ; 
  

   the 
  name 
  employed 
  is 
  Coniomycetes, 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  

   Greek 
  konis, 
  signifying 
  dust, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  their 
  dust- 
  

   like 
  nature 
  ; 
  of 
  which 
  mildew 
  and 
  smut 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  

   as 
  types. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  fourth 
  family 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  in- 
  

   conspicuous 
  compared 
  to 
  the 
  threads 
  upon 
  which 
  they 
  

   are 
  borne, 
  and 
  which 
  latter 
  are 
  the 
  distinctive 
  features 
  

   of 
  the 
  family. 
  Hence 
  it 
  is 
  termed 
  Hyphomyceles, 
  from 
  

   the 
  Greek 
  word 
  hypha, 
  a 
  thread 
  ; 
  wherefore 
  they 
  might 
  

   be 
  called 
  thread-like 
  fungi. 
  Of 
  this 
  family, 
  blue-mould 
  

   may 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  an 
  example. 
  

  

  Having 
  now 
  briefly 
  characterized 
  the 
  four 
  families 
  of 
  

  

  