﻿104 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  instance, 
  decay 
  lias 
  nut 
  already 
  taken 
  place, 
  it 
  is 
  

   speedily 
  accelerated. 
  

  

  SPORIDIIFEROUS 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  The 
  sixth 
  and 
  last 
  group 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  Ascomycetes, 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  developed 
  in 
  cells 
  or 
  bags, 
  called 
  

   asci, 
  often 
  accompanied 
  by 
  abortive 
  asci 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   threads, 
  and 
  termed 
  paraphyses. 
  These 
  are 
  produced 
  

   upon 
  a 
  cellular 
  stratum, 
  sometimes 
  forming 
  a 
  cavity, 
  or 
  

   envelope, 
  which 
  constitutes 
  the 
  peridivm, 
  and 
  some- 
  

   times 
  the 
  p&ridium 
  is 
  absent. 
  A 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  

   of 
  this 
  group 
  are 
  subterranean 
  in 
  their 
  habits 
  ; 
  and 
  

   though 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  too 
  small 
  to 
  serve 
  

   as 
  articles 
  of 
  food, 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  which 
  have 
  great 
  

   repute 
  amongst 
  the 
  lovers 
  of 
  delicious 
  repasts. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  order 
  Ehellacei 
  the 
  hymenium 
  becomes 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  exposed. 
  The 
  substance 
  is 
  in 
  most 
  instances 
  

   fleshy, 
  in 
  others 
  waxy, 
  and 
  the 
  form 
  is 
  commonly 
  either 
  

   cup-shaped 
  or 
  club-shaped. 
  The 
  genus 
  Peziza 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  elegant 
  of 
  British 
  fungi, 
  as 
  in 
  

   the 
  example 
  (Peziza 
  aurantia) 
  given 
  on 
  PL 
  13 
  fig. 
  

   2, 
  and 
  which 
  was 
  gatherod 
  amongst 
  the 
  grass 
  on 
  1 
  lamp- 
  

   stead 
  Heath, 
  early 
  in 
  November. 
  It 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  an 
  

   uncommon 
  species, 
  very 
  beautiful, 
  but 
  of 
  no 
  economic 
  

   value. 
  Another 
  species 
  (P. 
  coccinea) 
  is 
  still 
  more 
  

   beautiful, 
  both 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  colouring, 
  but 
  less 
  common. 
  

   Almost 
  every 
  fallen 
  twig 
  of 
  the 
  larch 
  will 
  afford 
  ex- 
  

   amples 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  white 
  and 
  red 
  Peziza 
  (P. 
  calycina.) 
  

   Two 
  other 
  species, 
  of 
  more 
  modest 
  hu^, 
  have 
  th« 
  re- 
  

   commendation 
  ol 
  lining 
  esculent. 
  

  

  