FUNGI. 307 



none care to traverse it now that nuts are out of the 

 range of possibility. But when seeking fungi one ever 

 chooses the most out of the way and unfrequented path ; 

 and so I climbed in the footsteps of last autumn's nutters. 

 Presently I espied an old torn felt hat, and upon it a fine 

 crop of Onygena. This fungus resembles a Leotia in form, 

 but it is very minute, not exceeding a quarter of an inch 

 in height. The seed bags are contained within the head- 

 All the members of this group flourish on decaying 

 animal mater — one grows upon hoofs, and another on 

 old bones. They are scarce, and my specimens were 

 accounted great treasures. (Onygena piligina). 



The second and last class belonoin^ to the ascus 

 division is that of Physomycetes, a family nearly allied 

 to the Hyphocmycestes, except for these having simple 

 spores, and those spores in bags or asci. 



The Ascophora Mucedo is the fungus called Bread 

 mould. If you subject a little of this to the microscope, 

 you see a grove of tall-stalks, each with a bead-like head. 

 AVhile young these are of a milk-white colour, but pre- 

 sently they turn yellow ; later you may see the spore 

 bundles under the skin of the head. In another day or 

 two the fungi begin to get darker, and presently the skin 

 bursts, and the spores are scattered in the air. This 

 mould is very unwholesome, and has been known to pro- 

 duce serious illne - - . 



A red mould, appearing sometimes in paste, is trace- 

 able to another allied fungus: Dr. Murray describes this, 

 and I quote his words. " A curious circumstance oc- 

 curred in Padua, in August, 1819 ; the alimentary sub- 

 stance, called by the Italians polenta, is a compound of 



