88 REVIEWS. IMarch, 



than it has hitherto been; for hitherto, certainly, the students 

 of that branch of the science have been " few and far between," 

 and the study of it " more honoured in the breach than in the 

 observance." It is noAv nearly a quarter of a century since the 

 second part of the fifth volume of Hooker's *Eng;lish Flora ^ 

 (written by the same Mr. Berkeley who is the author of the pre- 

 sent work) appeared ; and how few of the botanists of England 

 have devoted themselves in any measure to the study of the 

 Fungi during that period ! Other branches of cryptogamic bo- 

 tany have received a considerable share of attention, and the 

 Ferns, in particular, have been a very popular object of study, 

 and have excited much interest, but the poor Fungi have lived 

 and died unnoticed and uncared for. 



One cause of this neglect arises, we think, from a great and 

 general misapprehension as to what Fungi really are, and from a 

 tendency to consider them as disagreeable and even disgusting 

 objects. In this, however, there is a great mistake, as, though 

 rrianj^ of the Agarics and other larger kinds are not very pleasant 

 to behold, especially when in a state of decay, there are innume- 

 rable forms of beauty and grace to be found among the lower 

 and smaller kinds. On this point Mr. Berkeley observes, in the 

 commencement of his first chapter, "Every one is more or less 

 acquainted with the soft, fugitive, variously coloured, suQculent 

 plants which abound everywhere in our woods and meadows, and 

 which are known under the common names of Toadstools, Mush- 

 rooms, or Champignons, according as they are objects of disgust 

 or admiration, from their real or supposed poisonous or nutri- 

 tious qualities, . . . but there is no general conception that the 

 multitudes of parasites which grow on dead and living plants, 

 frequently inducing disease or decay, the mould which runs over 

 our fruit and provisions, or the yeast of beer and mother of vine- 

 gar, are closely allied productions, if indeed the very existence of 

 some amongst them is recognized at all." 



The publication of a popular volume like the present will do 

 much to clear away the ignorance which prevails on the subject; 

 and we heartily wish it success. Mr. Beeve has secured the ser- 

 vices of one of the first Mycologists of the day, either at home 

 or abroad, and the book is altogether a handsome one, and got 

 up in excellent style. 



In his preliminary observations, Mr. Berkeley alludes to the 



