﻿92 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  sents 
  the 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  applied. 
  

   Herein 
  the 
  hvmenium, 
  or 
  spore-bearing 
  surface, 
  is 
  in- 
  

   closed 
  within 
  a 
  covering 
  called 
  a 
  peridium 
  (from 
  perideo, 
  

   Gr., 
  I 
  wrap 
  round), 
  so 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  produced 
  

   and 
  ripened 
  within 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  stomach 
  or 
  gaster 
  ; 
  and 
  

   from 
  this 
  feature 
  the 
  family 
  bears 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Gastero- 
  

   mycetes. 
  Every 
  one 
  knows 
  the 
  puff-ball, 
  a 
  spherical 
  

   pouch, 
  containing, 
  when 
  ripe, 
  an 
  almost 
  impalpable 
  

   brownish 
  dust, 
  not 
  unlike 
  Scotch 
  snuff, 
  and 
  which 
  

   mischievous 
  schoolboys 
  delight 
  in 
  puffing 
  in 
  each 
  other's 
  

   faces. 
  The 
  pouch 
  is 
  the 
  peridium 
  or 
  stomach, 
  and 
  the 
  

   brown 
  dust 
  the 
  innumerable 
  ripened 
  spores. 
  But 
  puff- 
  

   balls 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  sole 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  ; 
  they 
  

   constitute 
  but 
  one 
  of 
  five 
  orders. 
  

  

  SUBTERRANEAN 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  Ckhtain 
  fungi 
  having 
  such 
  a 
  structure 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  

   described, 
  are 
  subterranean 
  in 
  habit, 
  and 
  these 
  are 
  in- 
  

   cluded 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  order 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Hypogasi 
  

   (apo, 
  fir., 
  under 
  ; 
  gcea 
  the 
  earth). 
  In 
  these 
  fungi 
  the 
  

   hymenium 
  does 
  not 
  become 
  dusty, 
  but 
  remains 
  perma- 
  

   nent 
  ; 
  nor 
  does 
  it 
  melt 
  away 
  as 
  in 
  other 
  groups, 
  except 
  

   when 
  it 
  becomes 
  decayed. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  resemble 
  

   truffles 
  so 
  nearly 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  confounded 
  with 
  them. 
  One 
  

   ,-ji 
  cies 
  of 
  Melanogast&r 
  was 
  sold 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  

   \'.w\\\ 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  red 
  truffle, 
  and 
  is 
  therefore 
  

   edible. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  example 
  which 
  has 
  come 
  to 
  our 
  

   knowledge 
  ipI 
  ;i 
  useful 
  species. 
  M<1< 
  (uogaster 
  variega- 
  

   tus 
  is 
  found 
  under 
  tress, 
  especially 
  in 
  (lie 
  neighbourhood 
  

  

  