FUNGUSES D9 
has been affected by the terrible potato famines of fifty 
years ago, and by the resulting emigration. We ourselves 
felt the effect of the invasion, for it hastened the Repeal 
of the Corn Laws in the United Kingdom. It was another 
little microscopic fungus that brought about all this. 
But do not think that the influence is wholly evil and 
violent. All the fermented drinks, beer, wine, and ginger- 
beer, depend for their formation on a third fungus, and 
others are busy everywhere hastening decay, and ridding 
the world of matter in a dangerous form and getting it 
ready for use again. 
Still, on the whole, the funguses are not popular. Their 
evil effects are conspicuous. Their good deeds are hidden 
away. Also they are generally rather grotesque in 
appearance, and they almost always contrive to have a 
smell that is most unpleasant to us, though hugely 
attractive to flies. 
Though we are taking them after the alge, do not think 
that they rank any higher in the Vegetable Kingdom. 
They may be considered as parallel groups, forming 
together the lowest grades of plants. If anything they 
are a little lower, for their great distinction from the 
algee lies in the fact that they do not possess the valuable 
machinery of chlorophyll. The result is that they can 
make no starch grains, nor can they break up the car- 
bonic acid in the air. As they cannot build up their 
required food from its raw material, they are obliged to 
get it ready made. There are two methods which they 
may adopt, (1) to quarter themselves on other living 
things, sucking up their prepared juices, and (2) to 
feed on dead and decaying remains of living things, or on 
such products of living plants and animals as fruit made 
into jam, or milk, 
