554 FUNGI. 



coloured, have scales or spots on their surface, tough watery flesh, and 

 grow in clusters on wet ground, and often in the shade ; while the 

 former are seldom highly coloured, generally white or brownish, rarely 

 show scales or spots, have brittle flesh, and grow solitary in dry pastures, 

 not in the shade. In some cases Fungi form a staple article of food. 

 Darwin states that the inhabitants of Terra del Fuego live upon a 

 globular fungus of a bright yellow colour (Cyttaria Darwinii), found 

 on the bark of the beech. Many species of Boletus are used as food in 

 Western Australia, according to Drummond. Mylitta australis is 

 known in Australia as Native Bread. 



1125. Some Fungi are limited to certain kinds of decaying matter. 

 Many species of Onygena are found only on the dung, feathers, and 

 hoofs of particular animals. Peculiar species of Mycoderma are deve- 

 loped hi vinegar, in yeast, and in flour. The rapidity with which 

 Fungi sometimes grow is remarkable. Ward noticed Phallus impudi- 

 cus shoot up three inches in the course of twenty-five minutes, and 

 attain its full elevation of four inches in an hour and a half. Bovistu 

 gigantea, in a single night, has increased from the size of a pea to that 

 of a melon. The force also with which they expand has been shown 

 by their raising pavements under which they had been developed. 

 Some Fungi, as Agaricus oreades, coccineus, and personatus, are deve- 

 loped in a centrifugal manner, forming fairy rings. Certain species of 

 Agaricus give out a sort of phosphorescent light. This has been re- 

 marked in Agaricus olearius, Agaricus Gardneri, and some species of 

 Agaric from the Swan Eiver. A similar kind of light is produced by 

 species of Rhizomorpha which occur in coal mines. Polyporus fomen- 

 tarius forms amadou, and it, as well as P. betulinus, have been made 

 into razor-straps. 



1126. The diseases caused by Fungi are numerous (^[ 693-696). 

 Blight, mildew, rust, and smut, are diseases of grain due to the attacks 

 of Fungi. Dry-rot is owing to the presence of Merulius lacrymans and 

 vastator, and Polyporus destructor, the mode of preventing which has 

 been already alluded to (^[ 699). The disease called ergot, which 

 attacks Eye and other grasses, is produced by the Spermoedia Clavus 

 (If 1103). The various moulds which occur on bread, cheese, pre- 

 serves, and fruits, are plants of this extensive order. Penicillium 

 glaucum is one of the most common moulds, occurring on organic sub- 

 stances, on books, &c. A species of Racodium is found in low cellars, 

 as at the London docks. Some Fungi are produced on living animals. 

 Thus, the disease called muscardine in the silkworm is produced by 

 Botrytis Bassiana. Certain wasps in the West Indies are affected by a 

 similar disease. Sphceria sinensis, a celebrated Chinese drug, grows 

 from a caterpillar; Sphceria Robertsii is developed on the larva of He- 

 pialus virescens in New Zealand; and Sphceria Taylorion. an Australian 

 caterpillar. So are also Sphceria sobolifera, entomorhiza, militaris, and 



