PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. 



MY justification for placing another translation in our libraries 

 is that no such book as this exists in the English language, 

 ami that I could not, for some considerable time, see my way 

 to collect so many observations on the cryptogamic parasites of 

 higher plants, or to find so many suitable subjects for the 

 pii-torial illustration of their habits and structure, as Dr. von 

 Tubeuf has given us. The work was undertaken all the more 

 willingly, because, while working under the guidance of the 

 author, I had seen the bonk take shape in his hands, and even 

 added some items to its pages. 



The aim- of tin- honk an- sufficiently set forth in the author'.- 

 preface, and in the preparation of an English edition these 

 have been kept in view. The tirst or general part and the 

 more important descriptions in the second part are practically 

 translations, but a certain amount of modification was found 

 necessary in adapting the work to the requirements of 

 readers. AVith lids object many additions were made 

 by the author and myself. Those which 1 have inserted are 

 in most ca.-es indicated by the use of (Edit.): this has, how- 

 ever, been entirely omitted in the group 'Fungi imperfect j,' 

 and nearly so in the I'redineae, on account of the number of 

 changes found iiece--ary. I also thought it advisable to indicate 

 whether the different species of fum_d had been recorded for 

 P.ritain and North America; this has been done generally by 

 the use of brackets, (Britain and I'.S. America.) The record- 

 for I'.rilain are taken from the works of l'lo\\ ri-hi , Massee, ;nid 



others; those of three groups, the rrediueae, I'.a-idioiiiNcele-. 



and ' Fun'_ r i impei-feei i were, however, revised by l'rofe.--or .1 

 \\ . II. Tr.iil of Aberdeen, a well-known authority. For America 



