Life of Plants and Animals 189 



fungi are supposed to be degraded forms of algi, 

 which, having become parasitic, have lost their chloro- 

 phyl, and consequently are dependent upon other 

 forms of life for their maintenance. Fungi like the 

 molds can be obtained at any time by putting a piece 

 of bread in a moist chamber (a covered bowl or tin 

 pan will do) and allowing it to stand for a few days 

 in this moist condition. Little powdery bodies called 

 spores, produced by these fungi when mature, float 

 around in the air, and, settling on any moist organic 

 substance, like moistened bread, begin to absorb 

 nourishment from the bread, and soon grow into a 

 silky fibrous mass called mycelium, each fiber being 

 called a hypha. 



In the case of rusts and smuts growing as sapro- 

 phytes on living plants or insects, the mycelium, as 

 it elongates from the spores, grows into the tissues 

 of the host (the organism on which a parasite lives), 

 and, penetrating the tissues, absorbs its nourishment 

 by their aid. When mature, they send up little stalks 

 which enlarge into a ball. It is in this ball or spore- 

 case that the reproductive bodies or spores are pro- 

 duc^d. The spore-case dries when mature and splits 

 open, allowing the spore to escape. These, then, are 

 carried by the wind to other plants and give rise to 

 new fungi of the same kind. 



The effects of these fungi can be seen by examining 

 the black wheat heads that are more or less abundant 

 in wheat-fields while the crop is maturing. 



LICHENS. These interesting plants are found grow- 

 ing on rocks, bark, fence-rails, etc. They often occur 

 in great quantities on old trees, especially in moist 

 climates. They are either yellow and hair-like, or 

 else gray, scaly looking bodies suspended from limbs 

 or closely clinging with their fiat surfaces to rocks. 



These plants are especially interesting, because they 

 are supposed to consist of both algi and fungi, inti- 



