I 



42 TEE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



and these elaters of spiral fibre uncoil with a spring and 

 scatter the ripe spores. There are seventy species of British 

 Jungermannia, which have been admirably described and 

 delineated by Sir William Hooker. We can find several 

 of them in our country walks anywhere, and the leaves of 

 cellular tissue are particularly worthy of observation under 

 the microscope. 



JUNGERMANNIA BIDENTATA. 



This is an example of the delicate toothed leaves of one 

 species. We find another, Jungermannia fnrcata, very 

 commonly on the same tree as /. dilatata ; it has a narrow 

 green frond, forked at the extremity, and on the underside 

 we may see the anthers, or antheridia, the male organs of 

 the plant. They are small green globules, which cannot 

 be properly observed without a microscope. 



The elaters are best seen when mounted in balsam; the 

 leaves either dry or in glycerine. 



FUNGI. 

 SLIDE OF PUCCINIA, OR PHRAGMIDIUM. 



Before we appreciate this apparently simple object, it is 

 needful to learn something of the vast extent and variety 

 of the family to which it belongs ; but the limits of this 

 catalogue will not allow of more than a very brief state- 

 ment of necessary information. 



The Fungi are plants of low organization, of which the 

 highest in rank is the common Mushroom, the lowest that 

 fine mould or tiny spot which we find on dead leaves or 

 decaying wood, or as a film upon our preserves, or a tiny 

 forest on our stale paste. Everywhere, in short, we may 

 gather specimens of fungi, and find beautiful life in death 

 under the revealing power of our microscope. 



Pew of them are at present mounted for the student, 

 but this species may always be obtained ; it is a fungus 

 parasitic on the Rose-tree. 



The Puccinia is a mildew which infests the straw of 



