ist. Of very simple structure. 



2nd. Contain no Chlorophyll, which is the green coloring 

 matter of the higher plants, and therefore cannot live on inor- 

 ganic matter, as do other plants. 



3rd. Reproduce by very minute spores instead of seeds. 



It must be understood, however, that spores are not homo- 

 logous with seeds. Spores are analogous with seeds and homo- 

 logous with the pollen of the flower of the higher plants. 



Since the Fungi are not able to live on inorganic matter, they 

 must live as parasites on living plants or animals, or as sapro- 

 phytes on decaying plants or animals. To the former class 

 belong a large number of forms which are very injurious to cul- 

 tivated and wild plants. Investigators in many of the Experi- 

 ment Stations of this country have given much time to the study 

 of these injurious Fungi, and already much has been learned 

 regarding the life histories and the best methods of checking the 

 ravages of these parasites. 



Fungi are variously classified by different authors, but for 

 convenience they have been divided into six classes, two of which 

 are not usually considered as true Fungi. These classes are in 

 turn divided into orders, and orders into families. The various 

 classes and orders with such common names as have been applied 

 to them may be arranged as follows : 



Class I. MYXOMYCETES (Slime moulds). Represented 

 in Maine by one order (Myxomycetace?e), which live mostly 

 on rotten wood, and are very remarkable organisms. In the 

 early stages of their life history they resemble certain of the 

 lowest forms of animal life. In latter stages they resemble the 

 puff-balls (Lycoperdaceae), and were placed in that order by 

 our early mycologists. Later they were placed in an order by 

 themselves and placed at the foot of the vegetable kingdom. For 

 the past few years there has been a general indisposition among 

 both botanists and zoologists to claim them. One of the 

 latest standard text-books on zoology 1 places them among the 

 lowest forms of animals. On this account they have been placed 

 first in the list. They are included because they have been pretty 



1. Parker and Haswell, A Ti-xt-book of Zoology. 



