an article of food. Boiled in water it yields a good firm jelly, TABLE 

 which, after the removal of the bitter purgative principle, is CASE 

 used, flavoured with wines, sugar, spices, &c., as an article of M. 

 food. 



In the lower division of the Case are samples of Manna, the 

 produce of Lecanora esculenta^ Eversm., and L. affinis, Lind., 

 species found on the sides of mountains in Persia. They are 

 said to have appeared suddenly at different times covering 

 large tracts of country in Persia, the Steppes of Tartary, near 

 Damascus, in Algeria, and other parts, with a layer from three 

 to six inches thick, the inhabitants believing that they descended 

 miraculously in tlie form of rain, heu(;e the name of Manna 

 has been applied to them and the people have used them, as 

 food. 



III. Uredine^. — Cedak Apples {Gymnosporangium TABLE 

 juniperi Link.), parasitic on branches of common juniper, CASE 

 illustrate the group of fungi known as Uredink^, the K. 

 members of which are remarkable for assuming very ditterent 



forms during different stages of their development, and in many 

 kinds the different stages of the same individual grow on 

 different host-plants. The spores of the Gymnosporangium 

 stage on juniper produce later in the season a second form of 

 the fungus, the JEcidium stage on living leaves of the mountain 

 ash ; the spores of the JScidium stage in turn produce the 

 Puccinid stage on jumper. 



All 'the species are parasites, Puccinia graminlsy Pers., 

 th» Wheat Smut doing injury to wheat and other cereals to 

 the amount of several millions sterling annually. A diagram 

 illusti-ating structure in Puccinia is shown on Gallery (Room 

 No 9). 



IV. Babidiomycetes. a large group of fungi including tee 

 PuFFBALLS, and the gill-bearing forms, as the common Mush- 

 room and Toadstools. The numerous species of Polyporus 

 and Boletus, having the hymenium or spore-bearing surface 

 lining the cavities of closely crowded minute pores, situated on 

 the under surface of the cap, belong here. 



In the lower pai't of this Case are some very fine specimens TABLE 

 of the common Giant Puffball {Lycoperdon Bovista, L.), CASE 

 an excellent article of food while young and white ; used in j^ 

 its mature condition as a styptic and for stupefying bees. 



In the top of this Case observe specimen of Scleroderma TABLE 

 vulgarCf Horn., .S'. geaster, Fr., Broomiea congregata^ Berk., CASE 



