Tim i 00EN8.] FUNGAL] 



tmounta to 35. When the climates an at all anal 



m< i. r at carta i oniahing bow great ;i . 



i«J< -ii t i t \ , there ia between the Fungi ol very distant portions of tb< 



produces far the great* r part ol the Europ* an 



i Hundreds of the Bame ;-| Splueria and Agaricus occur ii 



which are found with u^. Thecuriou ditromyces, which 



country, has been found in Java, Van Diemen's Land, and New H0U1 



perhaps, be difficult to point out any specific group peculiarly characteristic ol the i ouutry. 



Bui the same resemblance exists, to a great extent, also in the southern hi i 



In the island of Juan Fernandez, which was bo carefully ii . , i-. i; 



scarce a third of the specie* differ from European Fungi. I 



i 1 I lora of New Zealand and Australia, from whence I | 



species; ami though there are many new forms, and some belon{ 



hitherto found in Europe, a large proportion ol th< idi ntica). In the 



genus Agaricus the species in countries ol ever) variety of climate t ticaL 



The African Mycologj i^ remarkable for the varied forms ii produce* t the 



puff-balls and allied geni dally in that tribe which is called Podaxini 



commence at the south ol I urope, in tin- environs of Mai-' illi - ; abound at th< 



ot <■ ! Hope, and form a verj remarkable feature still in the Fungi of Swan I, 



Two species ol the African :uiih Secotium occur at the Swan River; and | — iblj a 

 third, and a very beautiful species, occurs in New /■aland. A speci laxou 



mnd b\ Dr. Hooker at Porto Praya, identical with ti Indian >j 



single imperfectly known sp airs in the warmer parts ol North America. The 



genus Clathrus, which is perhaps tin' meal I" autiful amongst Fungi, though unknown in 

 tin' more northern latitudes, has a most extensive geographical range. A line, running 

 obliquely from tin- [ale of Wighl through Germany, defines ii- northern limits: two 

 species, one of the allied genua Ueodictyon, occur at tin- Swan River; and a ma 

 cent - i that genua occurs in New Zealand, ami is eaten by thi 



On tin' whole, then, it will be seen that tin- geographical limits of Fungi are by no 

 means so definite as those of Phsenogamous plants. Some species are found in • 

 pari "! thi' globe : ami several tropical forma an- either universally dispersed] or 

 in spots separated from each other by many thousands of miles. In tin genus Poly- 

 poms everj countrj seems to haw- Bpecies peculiar t" itself; and from tin- numl 

 new forms which daily occur, tin- genus seems to l"- almost co-extensive with | 

 It i-~ in thi- ^iiiis probably, it in any, that tin- species will he found tu follow tin 

 in-ar! i aphicaJ arrangemi nt. 



A large volume might be written upon the qualities and u ee ol Fungi. Thej 



be said to be important, either as i 1 or as poison, or a- parasites destructive to the 



plants upon which they grow. As food, tin- most valuable are the Agaricus cai 



or common Mushroom, tin- various Bpecies of Helvella or Morel, and Tuber or 

 Truffle; hut a considerable number of other kinds an- need for food in varion 

 the world, of which a useful account will hi- found in l)r Candolle's excellent A 



/' ■ ■ ' / ii Persoon's work. £ 



in a paper by Greville in the 4tb volume ol the i • li - . 



w&m Uoqae'B Mist, dea Champ. comatibUs ei , ed. 2, 1841. Along list i 



be given of works on the subject, some of them like those ol Vittadini, I 

 arombholz, verj admirably L:ot np. 



About half a do iea only are eaten in London, am! in 1'aris now 



mitted to appear in the markets except tin- .-"111111011 Truffle, Morel, and Musi 

 latter being cultivated to a \. n considerable extent in tin-- ancient quarrii - which run 

 nodei parts ol the city. 



It is necessary b e the utmost care in employing Fungi th< natur 



is not perfectly well ascertained, in consequence ol the reeemblano I 



wholesome species, and tin- dreadful effects that have followed thi 

 Hut tin- greateal caution and knowledge will not always avail, for it ap| 

 species which are in general perfectly wholesome, sometimes pi 

 consequences. A familj at Cambridge a few years since sufl 

 rooms; a part of what were gathered were submitted to tin witei 

 remarks, ami proved to be Ag. personatus, a bjk 

 markets, and ascertained bj Mr-. Hussey, win. ha.- paid 

 be most exeelh nt far food. The case pi rhaps is similar to 

 Bometimes expi rii need bj pers r eating must 



mere exception. 



It is tun- that many kinds arc named b) Pall 

 Russians, which an- plentiful in countries wh< re tin J I but. 



in the Brat place, it i>- not perhaps quite certain that jhmm'Hous :uiJ wtu 



