vi PREFACE 



slight discrepancies that may be apparent between the general scheme 

 of classification contained in the Introduction, and the details as carried 

 out in the work itself. 



We have also to acknowledge the permission given by the publishers 

 of the following works for electros to be taken from the illustrations 

 contained in them, viz. : — De Bary, ' Comp. Morph. und Biol, der Pilze, 

 Mycetozoen, und Bacterien,' and 'Vorlesungen liber die Bacterien'; 

 Sachs, ' Lehrbuch der Botanik ' ; Goebel, ' Grundziige der Systematik ' ; 

 Luerssen, ' Die Kryptogamen ' ; Schenk, ' Handbuch der Botanik ' ; 

 Zopf, 'Die Spaltpilze ' : Hauck, ' Die Meeresalgen ' ; Reinke, ' Lehrbuch 

 der Botanik ' ; Thome, 'Lehrbuch der Botanik ' ; Le Maout et Decaisne, 

 ' Traite G^n^ral de Botanique ' ; Solms-Laubach, ' Einleitung in die 

 Palaeophy tologie . ' 



Of the remaining illustrations, many have been taken from nature ; 

 others have been copied from the illustrations of previous works, especi- 

 ally from Cooke's ' British Freshwater Algae ' ; and for others we have 

 to thank the courtesy of the Councils of the Royal and Linnean 

 Societies, and the publishers of the -Annals of Botany.' 



In those branches of Cryptogamic Botany which have not been 

 the immediate object of our own researches, we have freely consulted 

 experts in these several departments, and have received from all the 

 greatest kindness and most valuable assistance. In particular we wish 

 to express our obhgations in this respect to Mr. W. Carruthers, Pres. 

 L.S., F.R.S. ; Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S. ; Professor F. O. Bower, F.L.S. ; 

 Dr. R. Braithwaite, F.L.S. ; Mr. E. M. Holmes, F.L.S. ; and Mr. G. 

 C. Karop, F.R.M.S. 



ALFRED W. BENNETT, 

 December, 1888. 6 Park Village East, London, N.W. 



GEORGE MURRAY, 



British Museum (Natural History), 

 Cromwell Road, London, S.W. 



