(■■ 15*. ) 
to the fructification of the fungi, as well as 
that of the other three orders of the clafs 
Cryptogamia, but yet remains fo imperfeCt, 
that their generic characters continue to be 
taken from their outer form. Hedwig's re- 
fearches tend to eftablim for a faCt, that the 
fungi poffefs all thofe parts of fructification 
which, in botanic language, conftitute a flower, 
viz. it am ens and piltils. The ftamens he con- 
ceives to be a collection of pellucid fucculent 
veffels, with which innumerable oval globules: 
are connected, of a dilute brown colour. 
Thefe fmall bodies he difcovered under what 
is called the curtain, a part which is found in 
fome fungufes, and not in others. This is a 
thin membrane extending from the item to, 
the edge of the hat, which is torn as that ex- 
pands* and foon difappears ; but the part at- 
tached to the ft em often remains, and forms a 
ring round it. The parts luppofed by Hed- 
wig to be the piftils, he found, in examining a 
portion taken from one of the gills, which he 
divided with fome difficulty into two plates, 
the lower edge thickly fet with tender cylin- 
drical fubftances ; fome with globules at their : 
extremities, and fome without: the gill itfelf 
appeared netted with larger and more diitinCt 
fpots, 
