68 MICEOSCOPIC rUNGI. 



species lies in tlie three-celled form of its spores 

 (fig. 48)^ to wMcli occasionally those of Fiiccinia 

 variahilis approximate^ and may be regarded as the 

 link which unites the two genera. 



The old story of ^^ Eyes and no Eyes^^ is too often 

 literally true^ not only with the children it was 

 written to amuse and instruct^, but also with chil- 

 dren of a larger growth who scorn such baby tales, 

 and disdain such baby morals. Out of more than a 

 thousand indigenous species of microscopic fungi, 

 of which there is generally some evidence afforded 

 of their presence visible to the naked eye, how few 

 are there of the millions that inhabit our island who 

 can count twenty species that they have ever seen ; 

 still fewer that have noticed one hundred. Amongst 

 the twenty species known to the few will probably 

 be included one which appears in autumn in promi- 

 nent black spots, the size of a large pin^s head, or 

 half a turnip seed, with the flat face downwards, 

 sprinkling the under surface of blackberry leaves 

 (fig. 39) ; with larger, reddish, purplish, or reddish- 

 brown spots on the upper to indicate the presence 

 of the fungus beneath. Just at the time when 

 blackberries are ripe, these spots are in perfection 

 on the leaves, and their eyes must have been sadly 

 at fault who could ever have gathered their own 

 blackberries without seeing the discoloured leaves. 

 The coloured spots on the face of the leaf are due 

 to the diseased state of the tissues caused by the 

 parasite on the opposite surface. As much of the 



