STUDY OF PATHOLOGY. 195 



Rothfaule, or red-rot, of the fir; and the everywhere dreaded 

 Trametes rciLliciperda, attacking especially the roots, and 

 proving in the highest degree injurious ; and the Armillaria 

 mellea, the " Hallimash," with its rhizomorpha form. Should 

 these parasites not appear, and especially if they do not 

 come in great numbers to infest the black pine, then will 

 this tree be saved from one of the most dangerous assail- 

 ants of such trees ; and its value and importance will thus 

 be greatly enhanced. 



' It may be also confidently affirmed that, so far as obser- 

 vation and experience goes, the black pine harbours 

 fewer parasites than do its nearest relatives; and of all 

 known conifers it is the poorest in fungi, and consequently 

 by far the most healthful. It would be too soon to pro- 

 nounce a definite opinion in regard to the cause of this 

 remarkable and satisfactory fact. Probably several things 

 may co-operate simultaneously to produce this effect : 

 there is in all parts of the tree an extraordinary abundance 

 of resin ; there is a great deal of space between the trees 

 in a forest of black pine ; and there is a consequent 

 exposure and desiccation of the soil, &c. The well-known 

 student of fungi, Baron von Hohenbuehl-Heufler, in 

 accordance with what has been said, says : "A forest of 

 black pines is for the mycologist a Lasciate ogni speranza voi 

 ch'entrate Let all hope be left behind by him who enters 

 here." 



' Proceeding to the consideration of the different species 

 on which observations have been made, it may be premised 

 that the parasites as well as the saprophytes* were brought 

 under consideration ; and this on the ground, on the one 

 hand, that our knowledge of the black pine fungi must be 

 brought fully up to the knowledge of the present day, and 

 on the other hand, because the cases are increasing in 

 numbers in which saprophytes, in the earlier stage of their 



* Parasitic fungi are such as absorb their nutriment from living: organisms, animal 

 or vegetable ; Saprophytes are those which find their nutriment in the remains of dead 

 organisms, or from organic compounds produced by living organisms. J. C, H. 



