98 MICEOSCOPIC FUNGI. 



wortli Common — we have met with it as soon or as 

 late as there were groundsel leaves for it to grow 

 upon. No spot or change in the appearance of the 

 upper surface of the leaves indicates the presence 

 of the parasite beneath ; this is^ however^ often 

 betrayed by the golden-yellow streaks which appear 

 on the stem. Many a time and oft the boys in the 

 semi-rural districts about town have marvelled and 

 questioned each other concerning the reason why^ 

 in gathering ^^ groundsel ^^ for the little bird at 

 home^ we should be so particular^ and pass so many 

 promising plants^ plucking here and there a leaf^ 

 and seldom collecting one which they consider 

 eligible for the purpose. Collectors of minute 

 fungi must expect to overhear occasionally even 

 hints touching their sanity from those who^ without 

 the remotest idea of their mission^ think they must 

 be slightly ^^ wrong in the head ^^ to gaze so nar- 

 rowly and intently^ amongst nettles^ groundsel^ 

 grass^ or dry leaves^ and only take an occasional 

 fragment of a rotten sticky or two or three sickly 

 leaves^ carefully deposit them in their wallet^ hat^ 

 or pockety and then ^^ move on.''^ 



It will be unnecessary to repeat what has been 

 stated in a former chapter on spermogones. It will 

 be remembered that these organs are found deve- 

 loped in connection with some of the species of the 

 present genus^ as well as with the cluster- cups^ or 

 jEcidiacei, They consist externally of small conical 

 elevations^ pierced at the apex^ which contain I 



