﻿100 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  to. 
  In 
  this 
  order 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  compacted 
  together 
  

   into 
  lenticular 
  or 
  similarly 
  shaped 
  masses, 
  inclosed 
  in 
  

   a 
  peridium, 
  and 
  several 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  contained 
  within 
  

   an 
  outer 
  peridium, 
  either 
  open 
  or 
  closed 
  ; 
  this 
  outer 
  

   peridium 
  constituting 
  the 
  nest, 
  and 
  the 
  compacted 
  

   masses 
  of 
  spores 
  the 
  eggs. 
  This 
  little 
  order 
  has 
  not 
  

   more 
  than 
  seven 
  representatives 
  in 
  Britain. 
  

  

  DUST-LIKE 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  Tin: 
  third 
  group 
  or 
  family, 
  termed 
  Coniomycetes, 
  

   consists 
  of 
  dust-like 
  fungi 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  prominent 
  

   feature 
  is 
  the 
  spores. 
  The 
  mycelium 
  is 
  often 
  obsolete 
  

   and 
  the 
  threads 
  short 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  

   naked, 
  and 
  in 
  others 
  inclosed. 
  The 
  spores 
  are 
  large 
  in 
  

   proportion 
  to 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  plant, 
  and 
  extremely 
  abun- 
  

   dant. 
  We 
  shall 
  not 
  attempt 
  to 
  characterize 
  the 
  different 
  

   divisions 
  of 
  this 
  group, 
  containing, 
  as 
  it 
  does, 
  objects 
  so 
  

   minute 
  and 
  uninteresting 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  observer. 
  There 
  

   are, 
  however, 
  some 
  few 
  facts 
  which, 
  even 
  in 
  a 
  work 
  of 
  

   this 
  description, 
  deserve 
  to 
  be 
  recorded. 
  

  

  One 
  section 
  of 
  this 
  family 
  includes 
  the 
  numerous 
  

   species 
  of 
  rust 
  and 
  mildew 
  which 
  arc 
  found 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  

   world 
  as 
  parasites 
  upon 
  flowering 
  plants. 
  It 
  was 
  

   doubted 
  at, 
  one 
  time 
  whether 
  these 
  were 
  plants 
  at 
  all, 
  

   and 
  now 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  acknowledged 
  as 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  

   vegetable 
  kingdom, 
  are 
  verymuch 
  despised 
  and 
  neglected. 
  

   They 
  may 
  not 
  present 
  such 
  beauties 
  of 
  form 
  and 
  colour 
  

   as 
  to 
  enchant 
  the 
  fashionable 
  collector, 
  or 
  induce 
  him 
  to 
  

   stroll 
  into 
  the 
  country 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  them 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  agricul- 
  

  

  