SECT. in. CONIOMYCETES. 2 7 5 



on the skin is sufficient. Fungi cause baldness by 

 fixing themselves on the roots of the hair, and de- 

 stroying the internal structure of the bulb. Our eyes 

 are not exempt from attacks of these parasites, for in 

 performing an operation upon a diseased eye Dr. 

 Hannover found several species of fungi in it ; one of 

 them was globular, and strongly refracted the light. 

 There is a fungus consisting of from four to sixty-four 

 cells united in square groups, which infests the stomachs 

 of men and animals, even in a healthy state ; but al- 

 though fungi produce certain cutaneous diseases, there 

 is no proof as yet that fever, cholera, or any other 

 epidemic, is owing to the spores of the fungi which we 

 inhale from the atmosphere. 



The family of CONIOMTCETES consists of six groups, 

 two of which are parasites on living vegetables, the other 

 four growing on those which are dead, decaying, or dying. 

 They are microscopic plants, and their mycelium is 

 filamentous, or vesicular, often obsolete ; short threads 

 rising from it bear on their tips either septate spores, 

 or spores like fine dust, inclosed in oval or bottle-shaped 

 cases, called perithecia, or in cells united in a cell, 

 like a necklace of beads. We are chiefly indebted to 

 M. Tulasne and his brother for the obscure and extraor- 

 dinary life-history of these fungi. 



The parasites on living plants form the two vast 

 groups of Epiphytes and Entophytes. The Epiphytes 

 exhibit their fructification on the surface of the plant, 

 while their mycelium penetrates the moist texture of 

 its interior, which feeds them. All parts are liable to 

 be attacked by these fungi ; they may insinuate their 

 mycelium into the leaves, stem, flowers, stamens, 

 anthers, and the very heart of the seeds. The mycelium 

 is generally annual, but sometimes it is perennial, and 

 leaves a crop of fungi year after year ; it disintegrates the 



T 2 



