124 •^^'^'* ^^''' K.irby'j Obfervaiions upon certain Fungi 



of the mildewed wheat in this field was diftinguiftied by another fpc- 

 cics of Ure(io; though perhaps this might be only another appearance 

 of the mildew, which difcharged its Iced at regular intervals in dots. 

 l''rom the abfence of Uredo Frumenti in this inftance,it is evident that 

 the mildew is independent of that plant, and fo vice vena. A whole 

 diftriiS in the neighbourhood of Barham is particularly given to this 

 evil ; but improved management of the foil, I am told, will ferve as 

 a remedy. The appearance occafioned by the mildew, upon an ear 

 examined under a lens, did not fo fully convince me of its being a 

 Fungus, as that of the four preceding fpecies ; the dots were too mi- 

 nute to determine with certainty without a more powerful magni- 

 fier : yet I am moft inclined to that opinion ; and it derives addi- 

 tional force from what was once related to me by a gentleman who 

 had been abroad, that an Italian Abbate, I forget who, had written 

 a memoir upon the fubjedl, in which he had proved the mildew to 

 be a very minute Lycoperdon. He promifed to feud me the pamphlet, 

 but was not fo good as his word. The prefent year produced no 

 mildew, that I can learn; and I fent my fpecimens to Mr. Sowerby. 



I have now brought to a conclufion what I had to fay upon thofe 

 parafitic Fungi which I have obferved upon the wheat; and I hope 

 that thefe hints, for fuch only I defire that they may be confidered, 

 may induce other gentlemen^ more deeply fkilled in this department 

 of natural hiftory than I am, to purfue them further. The fubjed, 

 if viewed as clofely connedled with agriculture, is certainly import- 

 ant ; and if the fludy of it fhould lead to a difcovery of a method of 

 preventing the Blight., as efFeftual as that which has long been ufcd 

 by farmers to fecure their crops from the Brand, the naturalift who 

 led the way to it would have no reafon to think that his labours 

 were in vain. 



Much has been done in this country towards inveftigating the 



Fung't 



