THALLOGENS. 261 
takes place, with the matter of the fungus. It is a mucous, gela- 
tinous, and perfectly colourless substance, which separates little 
Fig. 327,—Fireblast, or Smut, on t € Fig. 328.—Section of a 
Maize plant. Maize Ovary 
attacked by Smut. 
by little into small polyhedral rounded masses, which by re-cloth- 
ing themselves, sometimes according to a tegumentary system, 
ome spores.” 
The Vinx Funavs, which is the Oidiwm Tucheri of Berkeley, is 
Supposed also to be a state of Erysiphes—a genera of small fungi 
Which the world has a great interest in being acguainted with. 
The elegant structure and varied form of some of these minute 
ei had fixed the attention of mycologists upon them, long 
i the unforeseen result of M. Tulasne’s investigations became 
: own. These microscopic plants possess, according to M. Tulasne, 
0 less than three kinds of reproductive apparatus, which make 
ir appearance successively, and the fungus destructive to the 
