ORIGIN OF FUNGL 95 
assimilate. They inhale oxygen and give out carbonic 
acid like animals. They also never form leaf-green, or 
chlorophyll, which is so characteristic of most other plants. 
In like manner they never produce starch. Hence many 
eminent botanists have repeatedly proposed to remove the 
Fungi completely out of the vegetable kingdom, and to 
regard them as a special and third kingdom, between that 
of animals and plants. By this means our kingdom of Pro- 
tista would be considerably increased. The Fungi in this 
case would, in the first place, be allied to the so-called 
“slime moulds,” or Myxomycetes (which, however, neve1 
form any hyphz). But as many Fungi propagate in a sexual 
manner, and as most botanists, according to the prevalent 
opinion, look upon Fungi as genuine plants, we shall here 
leave them in the vegetable kingdom, and connect them with 
lichens, to which they are at all events most nearly related. 
The phyletic origin of Fungi will probably long remain 
obscure. The close relationship already hinted at between 
the Phycomycetes and Siphonez (especially between the 
Saprolegniz and Vaucheriz) suggests to us that they are 
derived from the latter. Fungi would then have to be con- 
sidered as Algze, which by adaptation to a parasitical life 
have become very peculiarly transformed. Many facts, 
however, support the supposition that the lowest fungi 
have originated independently from archigonic Monera. 
The second class of Inophyta, the Lichens (Lichenes), are 
very remarkable in relation to phylogeny ; for the surprising 
discoveries of late years have taught us that every Lichen 
is really composed of two distinct plants—of alow form of 
Alga (Nostochaceze, Chroococcaceze), and of a parasitic form 
of Fungus (Ascomycetes), which lives as a parasite upon 
