CLASSIFICATION. 79 



with many others. The following are the technical characters 

 of the family : 



Fruit consisting of sporidia, mostly definite, contained in asci, 

 springing from a naked or enclosed stratum of fructifying cells 

 and forming a nymenium or nucleus = ASCOMYCETES. 



If the characters of the different families are borne in mind, 

 there will be but little difficulty in assigning any fungus to the 

 order to which it belongs by means of the foregoing remarks. 

 For more minute information, and for analytical tables of the 

 families, orders, and genera, we must refer the student to some 

 special systematic work, which will present fewer difficulties, if 

 he keeps in mind the distinctive features of the families.* 



To assist in this we have given on the following page an 

 analytical arrangement of the families and orders, according 

 to the system recognized and adopted in the present volume. 

 It is, in all essential particulars, the method adopted in our 

 " Handbook," based on that of Berkeley's " Introduction " and 

 " Outlines." 



* Berkeley, M. J., "Introduction to Cryptogamic Botany," London, 1857 ; 

 Cooke, M. C., "Handbook of British Fungi," London, 1871 ; Corda, A. C. J., 

 "Anleitung zum Studium der Mycologie,'' Prag, 3842; Kickx, J., " Flore 

 Cryptogamique des Flanders," Gand, 1867 ; Fries, E., " Systema Mycologicum," 

 Lund, 1830; Fries, E., "Summa Vegetabilium Scandinavise," 1846; Secretan, 

 L., "Mycographie Suisse," Geneva, 1833; Berkeley, M. J., "Outlines of 

 British Fungology," London, 1860. 



