42 MYCOPHAGY. 



indicate any popular representatives ; but with the re- 

 maining two the British farmer is unhappily familiar, 

 under the names of rust, smut, and mildew. The Puc- 

 ciniaei, comprising the wheat mildew the mehl-thau, or 

 meal-dew, of the Germans are distinguished by their 

 articulate spores; while the Cceomacei, containing the 

 bunt and rust, are truly parasitic, dust-like fungi. 



The next great division of fungi, consisting of those 

 moulds which bear naked fruit, is termed Hyphomycetes, 

 from their filamentous character. Its five subdivisions 

 find popular examples in insect club-mould ; scarlet 

 tubercularia ; carbonised moulds ; blue moulds yeast 

 and vinegar fungus ; and yellow boletus mould. 



This terminates the first series of fungi, consisting 

 of four divisions, in which the fructifying bodies are 

 naked and exposed. In the term there are included 

 other plants which differ greatly in structure, but many 

 of which are readily recognised as true fungi, while 

 others are very minute and obscure. These produc- 

 tions, instead of naked spores, have fructifying bodies 

 (sporidia) enclosed in sacs (asci or sporangia). Hence 

 fungi of the second order are characterised as sporidi- 

 ferous. 



The first group comprehends six divisions, whose 

 learned names we shall not inflict on our readers, who 

 doubtless will be satisfied to be told in plain English 

 that these divisions are respectively represented by 

 morel, truffle, maple-mould, candle-snuff fungus, hop- 

 blight, and hoof-fungus. The second group, comprising 

 two divisions, is popularly represented by felt-moulds 

 and bread -mould. 



As to the nature of the productions which have been 

 thus classified, they are undoubtedly true vegetables in 

 the main principles of their growth and structure, and 

 divisible into species as definite as in other acknow- 

 ledged parts of the vegetable kingdom. Berkeley there- 

 fore thinks it superfluous to consider the notions of 

 those who regard them as the creatures of chance, or of 



