11 



shown that the ergot of Phragmites produces not only its own peculiar 

 species of Cordyceps {Cordyceps microcephala), but also occasionally the 

 same species which is usually produced by ergot of rye, viz., Cordyceps 

 purpurea. M. Westendorp, moreover, has lately found ergot of rye 

 producing, instead of Cordyceps purpurea , a totally different fungus, 

 viz., Agaricus papillatus (Batsch).* It has been attempted to explain 

 M. Westendorp's observations by the suggestion of the accidental pre- 

 sence of the spores of the Agaric; and this explanation might have been 

 accepted, if a stray specimen or two only of the Agaric had appeared ; 

 but the ergot in question produced a continuous crop of the Agaric for 

 several weeks, pointing to more than an accidental connexion between 

 the two. Upon the question as to the nature of the supposed spermatia 

 observed by Tulasne in the early stage of ergot, some remarks of Bo- 

 norden, in the " BotanischeZeitung," for April 9, 1858, should be con- 

 sidered. They tend to show that the spermatia in question are not 

 sexual organs, but of the nature of spores. 



We have but little space to comment upon the systematic portion of 

 Mr. Berkeley's work. His extensive and intimate acquaintance with 

 the whole tribe of fungi affords a sufficient guarantee for its complete- 

 ness. The arrangement of the orders and genera is according to the 

 author's plan inLindley's " Vegetable Kingdom," and the " Introduction 

 to Cryptogamic Botany." As far as the Hymenomycetes are concerned, 

 the system is nearly that of Fries, as given in the " Epicrisis Systema- 

 tis Mycologici." The plan of the " Systema Mycologicum" itself would, 

 perhaps, have afforded greater facilities for students, but the adoption of 

 it would have been a step backwards. At the same time, we should 

 strongly recommend beginners to use the present work in conjunction 

 with the former treatise, in the fifth volume of the "English Flora." 

 The genera propounded in the "Epicrisis," although perfectly natural, 

 and in most cases easily recognized by practised mycologists from dif- 

 ference of habit, are exceedingly difficult to identify from their written 

 characters. Taking, for instance, the genera Agaricus and Kussula, a 

 very little practice will enable a student to distinguish the two; but if 

 he were driven to the written characters, he would find the main dis- 

 tinction to reside in the structure of the trama, a difference which can- 

 not be made out without careful microscopical investigation. 



Mr. Berkeley admits Fries' genus Nyctalis amongst the Hymenomy- 

 cetes, calling attention to De Bary's observations as to what the latter 

 considered a secondary form of fruit. f Since the publication of De 

 Bary's paper, Tulasne has written upon the subject, first in the " Comptes 

 Rendus" (January 2, I860), and subsequently, at greater length, in the 

 last number of the "Annales des Sciences jS"aturelles."j He unhe- 

 sitatingly denies the correctness of De Bary's observations ; and his re- 



* " Bulletin de l'Acad. Ro}'al. de Belgique," vol. vii., p. 80. 

 f See " Botanische Zeitung," 1859, pp. 385, 393. 

 % 4 Ser., vol. xiii., p. 5. 



