﻿OF 
  BBTTISH 
  FUNGU. 
  101 
  

  

  turist 
  views 
  them 
  as 
  amongst 
  the 
  pests 
  of 
  the 
  farm, 
  and, 
  

   if 
  for 
  no 
  other 
  reason, 
  they 
  deserve 
  to 
  be 
  better 
  known. 
  

  

  The 
  Puccinicei 
  are 
  developed 
  on 
  almost 
  every 
  

   plant, 
  — 
  on 
  wheat, 
  grass, 
  asparagus, 
  mint, 
  plum-leaves, 
  

   beans, 
  beet, 
  oak, 
  birch, 
  poplar, 
  sallow, 
  willow, 
  roses, 
  

   violets, 
  primroses, 
  thistles, 
  coltsfoot, 
  &c. 
  &c. 
  The 
  

   Dhoora 
  corn 
  of 
  the 
  tropics, 
  and 
  the 
  maize 
  of 
  temperate 
  

   regions, 
  are 
  not 
  less 
  certainly 
  the 
  victims 
  of 
  these 
  

   parasites 
  than 
  the 
  wheat, 
  barley, 
  and 
  oats 
  of 
  our 
  own 
  

   land. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  said, 
  and 
  we 
  fear 
  with 
  some 
  show 
  of 
  

   truth, 
  that 
  bunted 
  wheat 
  ground 
  up 
  into 
  flour 
  is 
  largely 
  

   used 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  gingerbread 
  ; 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  

   the 
  colour 
  is 
  concealed 
  on 
  the 
  one 
  hand, 
  and 
  the 
  taste 
  

   on 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  and 
  not 
  having 
  been 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  seriously 
  

   injurious, 
  no 
  depreciation 
  in 
  gingerbread 
  has 
  resulted 
  

   in 
  consequence. 
  Many 
  species 
  of 
  JEcidivm 
  are 
  exceed- 
  

   ingly 
  beautiful 
  when 
  viewed 
  under 
  the 
  microscope. 
  The 
  

   clusters 
  of 
  brightly-coloured, 
  urn- 
  shaped 
  bodies 
  resemble 
  

   the 
  delicate 
  waxy 
  flowers 
  of 
  exotic 
  heaths 
  ; 
  but 
  to 
  the 
  

   naked 
  eye 
  these 
  appear 
  only 
  as 
  rusty 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  leaves 
  

   or 
  other 
  portions 
  of 
  plants 
  upon 
  which 
  they 
  establish 
  

   themselves. 
  

  

  In 
  early 
  spring 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  pilewort 
  {Ranunculus 
  

   ficarla) 
  will 
  often 
  be 
  found 
  with 
  blight 
  orange-coloured 
  

   spots 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  and 
  occasionally 
  on 
  the 
  

   petioles. 
  When 
  viewed 
  through 
  a 
  lens, 
  these 
  spots 
  will 
  

   be 
  seen 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  clusters 
  of 
  cup-shaped 
  receptacles, 
  

   fringed 
  at 
  the 
  margin, 
  and 
  filled 
  with 
  minute, 
  bright, 
  

   dust-like 
  spores. 
  These 
  are 
  examples 
  of 
  JEcidium 
  

   ranunculacearum, 
  which 
  is 
  also 
  found 
  on 
  other 
  species 
  

  

  