60 THE AGRICULTUKAL PESTS OF INDIA. 



Pestalozzia, Puccinia, Eussula, Septoria, Uromyces, and 

 Ustilago. 



Some fungi are important as food, while others are 

 poisonous, or are destructive to the plants upon which 

 they grow, and the same alga often serves as host for 

 several different fungi. Among the poisonous are 

 Agaricus muscarius, Eussula emetica, and Boletus lurdius. 

 Boleti prefer woods as habitat. 



Messrs. Cooke and Berkeley thus summarize the dele- 

 terious influence of fungi : 



On man, when eaten inadvertently ; poisonous also by 

 the destruction of his legitimate food, and in producing 

 and aggravating skin diseases. 



On animals, by deteriorating or diminishing their food 

 supplies, and by establishing themselves as parasites on 

 some species. 



On plants, by hastening the decay of timber, also 

 establishing themselves as parasites, and impregnating the 

 soil. 



Fungi exert an important influence on the skin 

 diseases of man. Favus or scald - head, called also 

 porrigo, has its primary seat in the hair follicles ; Plica 

 polonica occurs everywhere ; Tinea tonsurans, Alopecia, 

 Sycosia, and Chionyphe are known, and hospital gangrene 

 suspected. 



Chionyphe Carteri, Berkeley, Mycetoma, sp. 9 H. Vandyke 

 Carter, is the fungus whose ravages cause the deeply- 

 seated disease known as the Madura foot. 



In domestic animals, as in cattle disease and in 

 insects, as with species of Torrubia. 



Dry-rot fungi are Merulius lacrymans, Polyporus 

 hybridus. 



Ergot is the sclerotioid condition of a species of the 



