﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUXGI 
  91 
  

  

  Sea 
  Island-', 
  and 
  exported 
  to 
  China, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   favourite 
  article 
  of 
  food. 
  Its 
  faculty 
  of 
  absorbing 
  

   and 
  holding 
  water 
  like 
  a 
  sponge 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  

   its 
  use 
  ai 
  a 
  medium 
  for 
  applying 
  eye- 
  water 
  to 
  weak 
  

   or 
  diseased 
  eyes, 
  and 
  similar 
  purposes. 
  Of 
  late 
  years 
  it 
  

   is 
  seldom 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  the 
  herbalists' 
  shops, 
  and, 
  

   in 
  England 
  at 
  least, 
  its 
  reputation 
  and 
  "occupation 
  's 
  

   gone/' 
  The 
  curious 
  name 
  it 
  has 
  appropriated 
  to 
  itself 
  

   may 
  be 
  traced 
  to 
  the 
  ear-like 
  form 
  which 
  it 
  sometimes 
  

   assumes. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  uncommonly 
  found 
  on 
  elder 
  stumps, 
  

   and 
  sometimes 
  on 
  elms. 
  A 
  variety, 
  shaped 
  something 
  

   like 
  a 
  bird's 
  nest, 
  has 
  obtained 
  the 
  distinctive 
  appel- 
  

   lation 
  of 
  Nidularia, 
  but 
  its 
  forms 
  are 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  

   permanent. 
  

  

  The 
  six 
  orders 
  already 
  described, 
  and 
  in 
  part 
  illus- 
  

   trated, 
  constitute 
  that 
  most 
  important 
  group 
  called 
  

   Hymenomycetes, 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  the 
  hymenium 
  being 
  

   the 
  most 
  prominent 
  feature. 
  Space 
  will 
  not 
  permit 
  of 
  

   our 
  entering 
  so 
  fully 
  into 
  the 
  particulars 
  of 
  the 
  succeed- 
  

   ing 
  groups, 
  which 
  need 
  be 
  less 
  regretted 
  as 
  many 
  of 
  

   the 
  members 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  minute, 
  and 
  scarce 
  any 
  

   present 
  features 
  of 
  equal 
  interest 
  with 
  those 
  which 
  

   have 
  hitherto 
  occupied 
  our 
  attention 
  

  

  PERIDIATE 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  family 
  of 
  fungi 
  is 
  termed 
  Gasteromycetes 
  

   (paster, 
  Gr., 
  a 
  stomach 
  ; 
  mzekes, 
  a 
  mushroom), 
  which, 
  

   though 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  many 
  others 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   Appendix, 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  complicated 
  name, 
  truly 
  repre- 
  

  

  