SMUTS. 85 



an allied species which affects it in a similar manner 

 (plate V. figs. 96^ 97), but is not equally common. 

 The spores of Ustilago iitricidosa, found on different 

 species of Polygonum, instead of being granulated, 

 are reticulated on the surface (plate VI. figs. 114, 

 116). The chief interest attaching to Ustilago anthe- 

 varum consists in its habitat, for it is developed in 

 the anthers of the flowers of the bladder campion, 

 and other plants of the same natural order. The 

 anthers are much swollen and distorted by this 

 parasite, which is not uncommon, though easily 

 overlooked unless specially sought after (plate V. 

 figs. 102-104). A list of all the British species will 

 be found at the close of this volume. It will be noted 

 that as in the genus jEcidium the prevailing colour 

 of the spores is orange, so in the genus Ustilago it 

 is black, with a purplish or violaceous tinge. 



Four diseases in wheat of fungal origin are 

 known and recognized in the popular language of 

 the farm as ^^ mildew,^^ ^^ rust,^^ '^ smut,^^ and 

 ^^ bunt."*^ Sometimes one and sometimes another 

 is most prevalent, and he is an exceedingly fortu- 

 nate individual who can walk through his fields 

 and find only one of them, especially if that one 

 should be sparingly distributed. It has been our 

 good fortune to dwell much amongst cornfields, and 

 the terror of the word *^^mildew^^ to a farmer^s ears 

 is not unfamiliar in our reminiscences of the past, 

 ere we discarded the much-loved country to become 

 a dweller in town. The subject of our present 



