370 CHAPTERS ON FUNGI. [December, 



tention to Cryptogamic Botany. Persoon was the father of modern 

 Mycology, and the founder of a new and better system, which 

 has since been greatly amended and improved by the famous 

 botanist Fries, whose works are now the standard authorities 

 on the subject. Corda, Tode, Montagne, and other Continental 

 writers, have also greatly enlarged our knowledge of the science. 



Mycology was, for a long time, much neglected in this country, 

 and even now there are very few who pay much attention to it. 

 Withering appears to have been the first who published any de- 

 tailed ar-d systematic account of the Fungi of Great Britain, but 

 his work, though of value at the time, is now almost useless, 

 from the great improvements which have taken place in the mode 

 of classification, and from the great number of species that have 

 been added to our Flora. Sowerby's ' British Fungi,' published 

 in the end of last century, and containing coloured figures of 

 most of the species then known, is a valuable work, and is still 

 useful as a book of reference. Purton's ' Midland Flora' con- 

 tains descriptions of a considerable number of Fungi, and is a 

 useful book also, though of a local character. Dr. Greville's 

 ' Scottish Cryptogamic Flora,' a valuable illustrated work, con- 

 tains a number of most beautiful plates of Fungi, and afibrds 

 great assistance to the student of Mycology . Indeed without the 

 aid of some illustrations it is difficult for a beginner to make 

 much progress in the study. 



The fifth volume of Smith's ' English Flora,' by Hooker, is 

 the last systematic work on British Fungi that has been pub- 

 lished in this country, and must therefore be considered as the 

 " text-book" of the English student. The part of that volume 

 which contains the Fungi (part ii.) is written by the Rev. M. J. 

 Berkeley, one of the best mycologists of the age, and who has 

 lately published a very excellent work, entitled an ' Introduction 

 to Cryptogamic Botany,' which should be in the hands of every 

 cryptogamist. 



In giving the following sketch of the modern system of classi- 

 fication of Fungi, I cannot have a better guide than the last- 

 named author, and shall therefore take the liberty of borrowing 

 somewhat from his pages. 



Fungi are classified by Mr. Berkeley as part of the great class 

 of Thallogens (Lindley), and are considered as forming a por- 

 tion of an alliance, termed Mycetales, which also includes the 

 Lichens. They therefore stand thus : — 



