FUNGI. 199 



these, and some smaller groups not enumerated, there 

 are two rather large sections of imperfect fungi, one 

 of which resembles the last named, except that the 

 fructification is more rudimentary and simple ; and 

 the other consists of the moulds of the type — let us 

 say — of the common blue mould, but which are re- 

 garded as the conidia, or imperfect conditions of 

 more highly developed fungi. In order to complete 

 this rapid summary we must add the Myxomycetes, 

 the vegetative system of which seems to have some 

 affinity with the animal kingdom, and the reproduc- 

 tive to be related to fungi. These are still attached 

 to the fungi as an outside group. Finally, there are 

 the very minute, but important, yeast fungi, and the 

 bacteria-like fungi, which seem in one direction to 

 connect the fungi with algae, many of them intimately 

 related, without doubt, to the epidemic diseases of 

 animals and plants. Such is the very varied assem- 

 blage of organisms which constitute the FUNGI. 



The Destroyer. 



The general definition of fungi, which is given in 

 all the text-books, furnishes an excellent clue to the 

 character and functions of these organisms. We 

 allude to the intimation that they " derive nourish- 

 ment by means of a mycelium from the matrix on 

 which they grow." This is so generally true, and 

 the exceptions more apparent than real, that we 

 may accept the fact that fungi are the destructive 

 agent in organic nature. It is only necessary to 

 indicate a few instances, as types of the manner in 

 which this destruction is accomplished. If we analyze 



