34 



Several kinds of fungi are observed to accompany certain well 

 known cutaneous disorders, and have frequently been spoken of 

 as the actual cause of such disease as Porrigo, Psoriasis, Tinea, 

 Plica polonica, and others of a similar kind. Cholera and 

 Diphtheria also have been attributed by some writers to fungi. 

 With regard to the two latter diseases the alleged proof altogether 

 failed, and there is no trustworthy evidence that the other fungi 

 are anything more than the concomitants of the disease inassoci- 

 ation with which they have been observed. 



As far as concerns man and almost all animals, except 

 insects, the parasitic fungi are of a very low grade; but some 

 insects are affected by certain species of Corclyceps (or Torrubia) 

 — genera which stand high in the scale of classification. Of the 

 insect parasites, Cordyceps Rohertsii (a New Zealand species) is 

 perhaps the most remarkable. Torrubia militaris may often be 

 found in this country, and attracts the eye by the bright red 

 colour of its perithecia. I have in my herbarium, specimens of 

 another Corclyceps growing upon what I understand to be the 

 larva of a coleopterous insect of the family Dynastidce. But it 

 would requii'e much more time than our meeting aflfords to 

 discuss even partially these insecticide fungi. 



I hope that enough may have been said to awaken some 

 interest in the branch of Cryptogamic Botany which deals ^vith 

 the familv of the Fungi. 



