18 A PLAIN AND EASY ACCOUNT 



whether distributed over gills, tubes, pores, or fissures, 

 is the most prominent object. Hence these are called 

 Hymenomycetes, a word compounded of hymenium and 

 mycetes, the latter being the Greek term for fungi : so 

 that these might be called Hymenium-fungi, of which 

 the common mushroom may be accepted as an example. 



In the second family the hymenium is inclosed in a 

 peridium, or case, which seldom ruptures before the 

 spores are ripe. To this family the name of Gastero- 

 mycetes is given ; from gaster a belly, because the hy- 

 menium, with all the reproductive bodies, are inclosed 

 in a kind of uterus or womb, from whence they are 

 expelled when mature. Of this family the puff-balls 

 maybe taken as an example. 



In the third family, which contains very minute 

 individuals, the spores are the most conspicuous bodies ; 

 the name employed is Coniomycetes, derived from the 

 Greek Jconis, signifying dust, on account of their dust- 

 like nature, of which mildew and smut may be taken 

 as types. 



In the fourth family the spores are small and in- 

 conspicuous compared to the threads upon which they 

 are borne, and which latter are the distinctive features 

 of the family. Hence it is termed Hyphomycetes, from 

 the Greek word hypha, a thread ; wherefore they might 

 be called thread-like fungi. Of this family blue-mould 

 may be taken as an example. 



Having now briefly characterized the four families of 

 Sporiferous fungi, we will return to the first of these, 

 and examine it more minutely. . 



