I4I 
In the culture of Naematelia, to which I draw attention elsewhere, 
the case is different in degree only; there also the conditions for per- 
fect spores have not been attained. 
It is evident that we are profoundly ignorant of the conditions of 
growth of the Hymenomycetes, and that much has to be done by all 
of us before we know even the relative value of the characters em- 
ployed in the classification of the pileus and- stipes on which so 
much depends. 
Supposing by some imperial edict it was decided to classify all the 
people of a nation according to the colour of their eyes as a primary 
step, and to put all the black-eyed, brown-eyed, grey-eyed, pink-eyed 
and—well, I do not know of any white-eyed people—into totally 
different groups; then suppose we took all the black, brown, yellow, 
grey and white-haired specimens of each groups and put them to- 
gether, and soon. _ It is clear that this would not lead us to a natural 
classification, and if the imperial edict compelled us to bury or embalm 
these people according to the same principles of grouping, we should 
have cemeteries very like our present herbaria in principle; and what I 
am fearing is that our herbaria are keeping permanently apart blood 
relations who ought to have been in the same graves, and whose 
tomb-stones ought to bear the same names. 
Now, it must not be supposed that I am criticising the magnificent 
artificial scheme of classification of Fries in any iconoclastic or carping 
spirit ; not only am I quite incapable of reforming it—and, moreover, 
am strongly of opinion that it should be upheld until a constructive 
genius of equal ability arises to reform it—but I give way to no one 
in my admiration of the astounding industry and grasp of details shown 
by that great expert, and by the workers who have followed out and 
further extended his monumental work, and our English handbooks 
by Berkeley, Cooke, Stevenson and Massee, as well as the—to me, at 
least—wonderful grip of the minute characters shown by several of 
my friends only confirm my astonishment at the beauties of this arti- 
ficial system. Still we must not forget that Fries’ system has dissatis- 
fied many reformers,as the emendations of Saccardo, Hennings, and 
others show. What I should like to promote is, however, a closer 
investigation into some of the points to see if we could not go further 
into these matters of species and of the causes which determine fructi- 
fication, variation, etc. It is clear that something might be done by 
more accurate information respecting the habitats. As regards species 
on wood this should not be difficult, but we want to know more as to 
whether on living or dead wood, on Conifers or Dicotyledons, etc., 
on Pine, Fir, Oak, Elm, etc., and which species of each ? 
As respects leaves, the matter is not so easy, but we want to know 
more as to whether on Pine, Beech, Fern, Grass, Moss, etc., and which 
species. Here difficulties occur as to whether the mycelium ‘has 
merely crept on to the leaves to form its pileus, or really lives on or 
in the leaves—whether it is really a parasite, a mycorhiza form, or a 
saprophyte pure and simple. 
