46 MICROSCOPIC FUNGI. 



fiftli of his ^^ Flora Cantabrigiensis/^ and Hudson 

 one-fourth, of Ms ^^ Flora Anglica/^ with the Cr}^- 

 togamia. At the present time^ it will be seen that^ 

 with a liberal allowance for ^^ hair-splitting/^ the 

 number of British species of flowering plants 

 scarcely exceeds three-fourths of the number of 

 Fungi alone^ not to mention ferns^ mosses^ algae 

 and lichens, and yet we have no ^^ Flora ^^ which 

 contains them^ and but a minority of our botanists 

 know anything about them. If we need excuse for 

 directing attention to some of the most interesting 

 of these plants^, let the above remarks suffice in lieu 

 of formal apology. 



^^ Mildew '^ is just one of those loose terms which 

 represent no definite idea^ or a very different one 

 to different individuals. Talk of mildew to a 

 farmer^ and instantly he scampers mentally over 

 his fields of standing corn in search of the brown 

 lines or irregular spots which indicate the unvv^el- 

 come presence of P-uccinia graminis, known to him_, 

 and to generations of farmers before him^ as '^ mil- 

 dew."'^ Try to convince a Norfolk farmer that any- 

 thing else is '^ mildew/^ and he will consider you 

 insane for your pains. Speak of mildeiu in your 

 own domestic circle^ and inquire of wives^ or 

 daughters^ or servants^ what it means^ and without 

 hesitation another_, and even more minute species 

 of fungus^ which attacks damp linen^ will be indi- 

 cated as the true mildew^ to the exclusion of all 

 others ; and with equal claims to antiquity. Go to 



