THE ANNALS 
AND 
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL. HISTORY. 
No. 112. APRIL 1846. 
; 
XXX.— Observations on the Tribe Spheeriaceze, and descriptions 
of certain new Genera. By Prof. Giusrrre pe Noraris. 
Florence*, 1844. 4to. 
By means of the immortal works of Bulliard, Persoon, Fries, 
Kunze, Nees, Greville and others, mycology has made i late 
ears surprising progress, although it still continues in some of 
its parts very inferior to the other branches of cryptogamic bo- 
tany. This arises, if ] mistake not, from an opinion unfortunately 
adopted by certain writers of authority, who have not hesitated 
to assert, that microscopic observations instead of conducing to 
happy results are prejudicial to the study of mycology, and are 
the perpetual fountain of error and confusion. This opinion I 
not only hold to be false, but even incompatible with the present 
exigences of the human mind, which cannot content itself with 
the superficial exterior of things, but delights in AFCHNS into 
their most secret recesses. 
And what, in truth, was the study of Cryptogamia io the 
compound microscope, thanks to the pais taken by the en- 
lightened Amici, was brought to its present degree of perfection ? 
The microscope has unveiled to us, not to speak of the surprising 
discoveries in bryology, lichenology and algology, the various 
ways in which fungi are reproduced, which, whether from the 
singularity of their forms, their hidden mode of growth, or the 
excessive minuteness of their parts, were the subject of very in- 
sufficient observations. How mycology has advanced since the 
late improvement in microscopic observations, the works of Vitta- 
dini, Corda, Montagne and Berkeley bear incontestable evidence. 
No one is ignorant that Persoon and Fries made the study 
accessible by defining the limits of the families, properly deseri- 
bing the species, and laying the foundation of the natural system ; 
* Translated from the Italian. Communicated by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley. 
This memoir, which was first published as a separate pamphlet in 4to, has 
since appeared in ‘ Giornale Bot. Italiano,’ edited by Parlatore. 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xvu. 
