n "Ann. des Sci.
Nat." 5^me ser. xv. p. 200.

De Bary and Woronin, "Beitraege zur Morphologie und Physiologie
der Pilze." 1870.

Bonorden, H. F., "Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der Mykologie."
1864.

Coemans, E., "Spicilege Mycologique." 1862, etc.

III

CLASSIFICATION

A work of this kind could not be considered complete without some
account of the systematic arrangement or classification which these
plants receive at the hands of botanists. It would hardly avail to
enter too minutely into details, yet sufficient should be attempted to
enable the reader to comprehend the value and relations of the
different groups into which fungi are divided. The arrangement
generally adopted is based upon the "Systema Mycologicum" of Fries, as
modified to meet the requirements of more recent microscopical
researches by Berkeley in his "Introduction,"[A] and adopted in
Lindley's "Vegetable Kingdom." Another arrangement was proposed by
Professor de Bary,[B] but it has never met with general acceptance.

In the arrangement to which we have alluded, all fungi are divided
into two primary sections, having reference to the mode in which the
fructification is produced. In one section, the spores (which occupy
nearly the same position, and perform similar functions, to the seeds
of higher plants) are naked; that is, they are produced on spicules,
and are not enclosed in cysts or capsules. This section is called
SPORIFERA, or spore-bearing, because, by general consent, the term
_spore_ is limited in fungi to such germ-cells as are not produced in
cysts. The second section is termed SPORIDIIFERA, or sporidia-bearing,
because in like manner the term _sporidia_ is limited to such
germ-cells as are produced in cells or cysts. These cysts are
respectively known as _sporangia_, and _asci_ or _thecae_. The true
meaning and value of these divisions will be better comprehended when
we have detailed the characters of the families composing these two
divisions.

First, then, the section SPORIFERA contains four families, in two of
which a hymenium is present, and in two there is no proper hymenium.
The term _hymenium_ is employed to represent a more or less expanded
surface, on which the fructification is produced, and is, in fact, the
fruit-bearing surface. When no such surface is present, the fruit is
borne on threads, proceeding direct from the root-like filaments of
the mycelium, or an inte