THE SEXUALITY OF THE FUNGI. 51 



It must be borne in mind that we confine ourselves strictly to the 

 evidence derived from the study of living forms — it may or may not 

 be that numerous primary or ancestral forms, long since disappeared, 

 would lead us to different conclusions, as the imagination of such led 

 Brefeld to different views ; but the only true method is to adhere to 

 what we know as the basis of our plans for knowledge to come. 



It must be allowed at the outset that we know very few forms 

 accurately or thoroughly, and there are therefore almost endless possi- 

 bilities in the future. Keeping these cautions in mind, however, we 

 need not fear to point out whatever points of general significance can 

 be obtained from our present knowledge. 



The first and most important fact with regard to the scheme is that 

 if we pay regard to the terminal members of most of the main branches, 

 we notice that- they are all, or nearly all, parasitic forms, or, at any 

 rate, include such forms. 



The higher Aseomycetes offer us the following examples from 

 different branches, the Lichens, Pleospora, &c, Claviceps, &c, and 

 Peziza sclerotioides. 



Then come the Uredinece (we need not necessarily imagine the Tre- 

 mellas and Basidiomycetes as derived from the highest Uredinece; the 

 evidence does not decide this), all strongly parasitic. 



The Ustilaginece of course are parasites par excellence, and they 

 terminate a side series. 



We have still two main groups to deal with — the Sap>rolegnice 

 (which, so far as known, are mostly saprophytes) and the Zygosporece, 

 which are also generally saprophytes. Our very imperfect knowledge 

 of the Basidiomycetes will be cited as an excuse for putting them aside 

 in what follows : I do not for a moment under-value what we do know 

 of them, but, as the sequel will show, their present position becomes 

 more and more anomalous, if we really know the entire life-history. 

 Of course we have no right to quarrel with the evidence, but the story 

 of these fungi, as told at present, completely negatives their being 

 included in the scheme to follow, and we must therefore neglect them 

 for the moment, merely reminding the reader that some of them are 

 parasitic. 



Neglecting the Basidiomycetes, then, we may proceed to note that 

 not only are the terminal groups of the series named usually parasites, 

 but that it is just in those groups which are most intensely parasitic 

 that least hope of our discovering sexual organs exists. In the Zygo> 



