﻿2 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  botanists" 
  know 
  little 
  or 
  nothing 
  about 
  them. 
  That 
  

   part 
  of 
  our 
  scientific 
  literature 
  which 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  them 
  

   is 
  remarkably 
  scanty 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  student, 
  or 
  the 
  

   operative 
  botanist, 
  whose 
  means 
  are 
  limited, 
  inquires 
  

   in 
  vain 
  for 
  assistance 
  in 
  gaining 
  even 
  a 
  slight 
  know- 
  

   ledge 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  interesting 
  section 
  of 
  our 
  Flora. 
  For 
  

   such 
  we 
  can 
  scarce 
  hope 
  to 
  accomplish 
  much 
  ; 
  but 
  

   even 
  this 
  little 
  may 
  not 
  prove 
  unwelcome. 
  Whilst 
  

   manuals 
  of 
  flowering 
  plants, 
  with 
  or 
  without 
  illus- 
  

   trations, 
  are 
  abundant, 
  no 
  corresponding 
  guides 
  to 
  

   cryptogams 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  equally 
  complete, 
  cheap, 
  or 
  

   useful. 
  

  

  The 
  Spitalfields 
  weaver, 
  who 
  gets 
  away 
  into 
  the 
  

   country, 
  whenever 
  a 
  half-holiday 
  falls 
  to 
  his 
  lot, 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  adding 
  to 
  his 
  humble 
  herbarium, 
  or 
  becoming 
  

   better 
  acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  Flora 
  of 
  his 
  native 
  land, 
  

   must 
  look 
  upon 
  the 
  lichen 
  or 
  fungus 
  as 
  objects 
  reserved 
  

   for 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  can 
  better 
  afford 
  the 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  literary 
  assistance. 
  Although 
  this 
  may 
  still 
  be 
  

   asserted, 
  with 
  equal 
  justice, 
  when 
  our 
  work 
  is 
  accom- 
  

   plished 
  ; 
  yet 
  if 
  we 
  succeed 
  in 
  exciting 
  an 
  interest 
  

   amongst 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  readers, 
  this 
  may 
  hasten 
  the 
  time 
  

   when 
  the 
  desideratum 
  shall 
  be 
  supplied. 
  

  

  To 
  say 
  that 
  fungi 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  everywhere, 
  would 
  

   not 
  perhaps 
  be 
  always 
  literally 
  true 
  ; 
  but 
  to 
  say 
  where 
  

   they 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  found, 
  under 
  any 
  circumstances, 
  

   would 
  be 
  puzzling. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  shady 
  woods, 
  mossy 
  

   dells, 
  secluded 
  lanes, 
  and 
  green 
  pastures, 
  the 
  habitats 
  

   of 
  fungi, 
  but 
  we 
  meet 
  with 
  them 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  

   situation 
  where 
  vegetable 
  life 
  is 
  possible, 
  and 
  traces 
  

  

  