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THE ANATOMY OF A MUSHROOM. 
BY M. C. COOKE. 
[PLATE LIII.] 
I F we accept the fact that about twenty thousand species of 
fungi have already been described, and in addition thereto 
venture to suppose that as many more have yet to be discovered, 
we shall be compelled to admit that fungi constitute no insig- 
nificant portion of the lower cryptogamic flora. If anyone 
should be disposed to question the probability of as many new 
species being discovered as are already known, we refer to the 
map of the world, and gain confidence in our belief. We know 
something of the fungi of Europe, but these are by no means 
exhausted ; w^e know something of the fungi of a portion of the 
United States, but only of a portion ; and of the rest of the 
world our knowledge of the mycologic flora is either exceedingly 
meagre, confined to a few of the larger and most easily pre- 
served kinds, or we know absolutely nothing. Nearly the 
whole of Asia is, with the exception of limited areas, as the 
Sikkim Himalayas, Java, and Ceylon, unknown. Of South 
America we only know a portion of the large and easily preserved 
Folyporei. In Africa only Algeria, Giuinea, and the Cape have 
yielded collections. In fact, the only portion of the world’s 
surface which has been moderately well worked for fungi is 
certain parts of Europe, and even here the Spanish peninsula, 
Grreece, Turkey, and all Southern Russia remain to be explored. 
In the face of these facts, we do not hesitate to pronounce that 
we know nothing of half the species of fungi now flourishing on 
the face of the earth. 
Little as we know of the geographical distribution of these 
plants, little as we know of the species to be found over such 
large tracts as Central Africa, South America, China, Malayan 
countries. Northern Asia, and the Indian Archipelago, we find 
in all these places that some kinds of fungi are well known to 
the natives, and employed as food. It is not in Europe, or 
amongst the more highly civilised races only, that mushrooms 
