WE now enter upon the season of the year when buds prepare to burst forth into full leaf, and the vegetable kingdom generally prepares to put on its summer garb. The trees are as yet mostly bare, for their fully developed leaves have not yet opened; but amongst the humble plants whose home is upon the somewhat warmer earth, the leaves are open and the flowers of the spring time now appear to claim the attention of the field naturalist as he takes his ramble in the meadows. Now the student of microscopic botany will feel inclined to overlook the dead sticks of the woods, which have for several months had his attention, and look out for the living leaves of the plants which promise to provide for him a pleasant study in the leaf-fungi which are in preparation. Of these plants of the early spring-time, the one that I have in all cases found to be the first infected with leaf-fungus is the Ranunculus Ficaria or Lesser celandine, known better in Lancashire and Cheshire as the Pile-wort, The buttercuplike flower of this plant makes it very conspicuous, and it cannot well be overlooked. Upon the leaves of it the first and one of the most beautiful clustercups of the year now makes its appearance, When mature it is of a bright yellow or orange colour, which contrasts strikingly with the green of the leaf, and is thus easily recognised. It belongs to a large family, the Æcidiacei, of which we shall have frequently to speak in the coming months. This species is known as Æcidium ranunculacearum (Uromyces dactylidis), and assumes the form of a small cup, hence its common name. This cup in its perfect condition is filled with minute spores of the colour of the cup itself. A number of the cups are usually clustered together, and form a striking patch on the leaf, varying in size, but commonly about the size of a small pea. This fungus when carefully dried and mounted, as an opaque object for the microscope, is exceedingly beautiful and worthy of an honourable position in any cabinet. This first spring leaf-fungus I have frequently found in various districts of England and Ireland, and every spring during many years, when I have cared to look for it, in the Cheshire valleys, not far away from Manchester, and in great quantity near the village of Gatley, among the meadows known as the Cars.

The second fungus of the spring, so far as my own experience is concerned, is also to be found upon the leaves of this same plant, the Pile-wort. It assumes the form of a small black patch, and is a smut, to use the common name by which it is known. The scientific name is Uromyces ficaria (Uromyces ficariae). There are also other members of this family of which we shall have to speak as the summer advances. The powdery smut which forms the black patch, on examination with a good microscope, is found to consist of a countless number of cells of extreme minuteness. These are too small to be well examined as opaque objects, but are capable of being preserved as microscopic objects of interest if mounted in balsam, damar, or gelatine. If the student desires to examine them only, not caring to preserve them, water is the best fluid to use.

Besides the above, which I have so frequently met with, I have a specimen of clustercups in my cabinet from Dawlish in Devonshire, which is in fair condition, sent to me by a friend. It is Æicidium bunii (Puccinia bulbocastani), or the "Pignut clustercup". It is not upon the Pignut, however, but upon Buniam. bulbocastanum (Bunium bulbocastanum), and was found as early as April. It may be well to mention that I have the same species of fungus on the true Pignut plant, Carum bulbocastanum (Tuberous Caraway in Bentham and Hooker, 7th edn. 1924, and said by them to resemble Conopodium denudatum - now C. majus - and, 'like that species, the stock forms globular underground tubers, known by the name of earthnuts or pignuts'), which I found in North Wales, May, 1872 and again the same fungus which I met with in July of last year at Bootle, in the Lake District, and this time it was on another plant, Pimpernella saxifraga (Pimpinella saxifraga?). It will be well to notice the various species of micro-fungi which are prominent in the month; but it must be remembered there are but few if any of them who limit their appearance to any exact period: therefore all classification as to time must not be accepted as strictly accurate. It may be well for the student also to notice that although I speak of the same fungus growing upon the three completely distinct plants, this habit of growth must not be understood as usual, for on the contrary, it is rather the rule for fungi to accept one special plant as their home, and the name of the parasite usually follows in some form the name of the plant upon which it grows. I have another specimen of fungus, Puccinia heraclei (*), which has been met with thus early in the year in the south of England. It infests the Hogweed or Cow Parsnip, Heracleum Sphondylium. There is a probability that other leaf fungi may occasionally be developed thus early in the spring of the year in warm sheltered places and under other favourable conditions.

AS we enter upon the month of May we find leaf-fungi come to the front in great numbers.. especially the clustercups. The few named for April are still to be found in most cases, and if the season be a backward one, they will be now in better condition than they were in that month. The beautiful white clustercup, Æcidium leucospermum (Ochropsora ariae), is one of the first which makes its appearance in May, and is very common in some special districts; but I have only met with it in the Lake District and in Wales. It is only to be found upon the leaf of the wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa. It is easily recognised. Another of the early ones is the clustercup Æcidium allii (Puccinia sessilis), on the leaf of the garlic. This I believe to be very rare, for it cost me nearly twenty years' search before I was fortunate enough to find it when I was rambling on the shores of Windermere Lake, in May, 1877. The nettle clustercup, Æcidium urticæ (Puccinia caricina), is more common, but is still rare in many districts. I have met with it in the Bakewell Valley, in North Wales, and in various localities of the Lake District, as also in unusually fine condition in Sherwood Forest. Lapsana communis is a very common plant, and becomes the frequent home of one of the May clustercups Æcidium compositarum - variety, Lapsana (Puccinia lapsanae). This I have found near Manchester whenever I have cared to look for it, and I doubt not it will be equally common elsewhere. I have another specimen of the compositarum clustercups found in May, but this I have never been able to meet with, it is Æcidium compositarum. - variety, Jacobæ (Puccinia dioicae var. schoeleriana), and is upon the common ragwort. It was gathered by a scientific friend near to Lynn, in Norfolk.

Another comparatively common cluster cup which may be found this month is the one on the field violet Æcidium violæ (Puccinia violae). The probability is that wherever the botanist meets with a bank of these favourite plants, and has any strong desire to find the fungus, he can hardly fail to succeed in doing so. It would weary my reader were I to enumerate the many places where I have met with this very beautiful parasite, when in good condition it is one of the best specimens of the very interesting family to which it belongs.

I think it is well that I should put upon record, for the information of the reader, the names of a few other clustercups which I have in my collection, which I have not been able to find, but are the contributions of friends. I look upon them as rare, but it is not impossible they may be, under special circumstances and under favourable conditions, comparatively plentiful. They were all found during this month. They are as follows : Æcidium ari (Puccinia sessilis), or Wake-robin clustercup, on Arum maculatum: Æcidium geranii (Uromyces geranii), Cranesbill clustercups, on Geranium pratense; and Æcidium crassum (Puccinia coronata), Buckthorn clustercups. I have also a specimen of the rare clustercups on Caltha palustris, Æcidium Calthæ (Puccinia calthae), sent from Scotland in May, 1874.

Now, a so-called rust may be found upon the leaves of numerous plants. The fungi which assume this common name of rust are extremely numerous, and they are of all shades of colour, from nearly black, through brown and yellow to orange. The genus Trichobasis is of the rusty sort most common and conspicuous, and now the reader in his country rambles may readily find various specimen of it, if he be in a favourable district, away from a smoky atmosphere. Above we spoke of the clustercups on the Geranium pratense, we have also the Trichobasis on the same plant, which I have gathered in this month, and it will linger on for several months to come, as is proved by the fact that I have specimens gathered as late as September. Trichobasis rubego-vera (Puccinia recondita), also rust, may now be found on grass, and is easily seen in consequence of its bright colour, as it gradually bursts the cuticle of the plant, and thus exposes itself to the passing traveller. The spores which form the chief mass of the plant are mostly simple rounded cells without a peduncle attached, and are thus easily distinguished from the genus Uromyces which possesses such an appendage of considerable length, as is at once demonstrated when the fungus is tested by microscopic examination. One of the commonest of these rusts is Trichobasis heraclei, of a bright orange colour, and grows upon numerous plants, and is but the early condition of a fuller developed organism known as Puccinia heraclei (*). It should be borne in mind that a large proportion of the rusts now beginning to make their appearance are not in any sense perfect fungi, but merely the early condition of those which will appear when the conditions of their development shall be perfected. Of various of these complicated organisms I shall have to speak hereafter, but I refer to the strange fact now, in order to give the student an idea of the marvellous world of interest he has to deal with.

Another genus of the rusts also become plentiful in this month, and are known as Uredo. They infest a considerable number of plants, and like other rusts are not difficult to meet with. The spores are yellowish and vary in shade, and the simple cells of which they are composed are more irregular in form than the Uromyces or Trichobasis, and in no condition of their existence have they a peduncular attachment. During the month I have met with the fungi of this genus frequently in various parts of the country, but it is not desirable that I should even attempt to make out a list of the species which he should particularly look for, he cannot get wrong in gathering specimens, although he may for a time have a difficulty in naming them. There is, however, another genus of these rusts which come forth largely in May, and cannot be overlooked, the name of which is Lecythea. The general appearance of the various species which make up the genus is very similar to that of the other rusts of which I have spoken. and the student will only be able to make out the distinction on careful microscopic examination. The varying characteristics of the spores in this instance are such as to make it difficult to convey the true idea to the reader, and it appears to me that I cannot do better than copy the description given by Dr. Cooke in his admirable Hand Book. It runs thus : " Stroma surrounded or sprinkled with elongated abortive spores. Spores free, invested with their cell, or concatenate." I will now conclude this portion of my notes for May by referring to a few of the species which the reader may expect to meet with in his rambles at this season.

Lecythea Rosæ (? [there are two common species]), Roserust, on leaves and stem of roses. Lecythea Poterii (Phragmidium sanguisorbae), Burnet rust, on Poterium sanguisorba and other plants. Lecythea saliceti (? [a complex of species]), common Willow rust, although considered an autumn rust, I have met with in the present month.

Some of the Pucciniæi may now be found, and are the advanced species of a large army of followers, of which I must speak more fully afterwards, and I think I may best close my paper for the month by naming a few I have met with in my May rambles. Puccinia umbelliferarum (Puccinia tumida) I have found during the month, I think I may say hundreds of times, for it is very common on the pignut plant. I have found it also on other umbelliferous plants. The Puccinia ægopodii (*) on Goutweed, although looked upon as rare is very common in the Cheshire valleys, within about six miles from Manchester, and I meet with it every spring, and not infrequently far into the summer. There are others of the Pucciniæi which I have but once met with in this month, and I will close this paper by a list of them for the readers' information. Puccinia chrysosplenii (*), Golden Saxifrage brand; Puccinia vincæ (*), Perywinkle brand; and Puccinia truncata (Puccinia iridis), or Iris brand. Later on in the year a crowd of members of this group of leaf-fungi will claim our attention.

THE month of June is exceedingly rich in leaf-fungi, many of the most beautiful of them may be met with during the entire month. The Æcideacei are especially plentiful, but only a few of them are within the reach of Manchester. One of the commonest, the Coltsfoot clustercap, Æcidium compositarum var tussilaginis (Puccinia poarum), I have found on the banks of the Mersey, near Northenden, and in great plenty in the Buxton valley as far as Millers Dale, and a score of other localities. Æ. epilobii (Puccinia pulverulenta) will about this time be in fine condition in the same localities, and generally throughout the country. It appears to be chiefly developed upon Epilobium hirsutum, but may be found also on other species of that genus. The beautiful little daisy clustercup Æ. compositarum, var bellidis (Puccinia obscura), although very plentiful in some districts in the south of England is very rare in the north, and I have but once succeeded in finding it when at Buxton, rambling on Corbar hill, which over looks that charming place. There is another member of this genus which should be looked for now, for it covers a wide range of country and in some districts infests nearly every leaf of the plant. This is Æ. compositarum, var taraxaci (Puccinia variabilis) upon the well known dandelion. Although so common, generally it is very rare in a wide district surrounding Manchester. I have only twice found it there, on one occasion near Taddington in Derbyshire. The gooseberry clustercup, Æ. grossulariæ (Puccinia caricina) will be in perfection now, and where it delights to dwell will be in plenty. It is easily seen on the leaves of the tree, and not infrequently is also found in perfection on the fruit. Occasionally it may be found upon the gooseberries which are brought in the market, and it was one of such gooseberries thus infested which first turned my attention to the study of micro-fungi. There is one other species of this genus which I must not omit to notice, Æ. Aviculariæ (Uromyces polygoni-aviculare), which grows upon the smaller knot grass, Polygonum aviculare, one of the most common of our weeds. The conditions under which it is developed must be very peculiar, for it is one of the rarest of all the micro-fungi and has seldom been. found. I was very fortunate in meeting with it in comparative plenty, on one occasion just outside Manchester, on a heap of rubbish of the most uninviting character. Streets and houses now cover this lucky hunting ground, and I have but little hope of meeting with the plant again, but still I don't neglect this rambling weed as I go along in my botanical expeditions, and some fine day it may again come to the front.

Amongst the Æcidiacei there are several species which form a separate group under the term Rœstelia. Of these, which for the most part don't appear until autumn, there is one which is usually met with in June. It is known as Rœstelia lacerata (Gymnosporangium clavariiforme) or fringed clustercup. It has not the general appearance of the Æcidiacei, but has internal characteristics which connect it with that genus. Although comparatively common it does not frequently arrive at perfection in the districts with which I am familiar, for it is only on one occasion that I was fully satisfied with my gatherings. It grows upon the common Hawthorn, both on the leaves and the fruit.

About twelve years ago I met with a leaf-fungus in the Bollin valley, near Wilmslow, Cheshire, which was new to Britain, and not being able to find out what it was I forwarded specimens to Dr. Cooke explaining particulars of locality, &c. The fungus assumed the form of small broken black spots, and the plant upon the leaves of which they were, was the common Butter Bur, or Petasites vulgaris. It was a considerable time before the Doctor gave the plant a name, which he did ultimately in Grevillea, vol. I, p. 40, when he named it Badhamia Capsulifer. Since that time he announced in the same publication, vol. 5, p. 12, that the true name is Physarum tussilaginis (Didymium dubium [fide Martin & Alexopoulos]). Every year about this time since my first discovery, I have been able to gather any reasonable amount of this fungus in one particular limited district in Cheshire. This district embraces the villages of Wilmsiow, Northenden, Gatley, and the valleys in their several localities, and it has been a matter of great astonishment to me that I have never yet heard of any other botanist having found the plant. I have also by means of Science Gossip endeavoured to find out if the fungus had been met with elsewhere, but as yet I have no reply. It is one of the species belonging to the Myxogastres (Myxomycetes), and is of especial interest at the present time when some of our scientists are claiming for the genus a relationship with the animal kingdom. I would urge botanical students to be on the look out for this interesting fungus. The probability is that it may be found elsewhere, and it will be strange indeed if Cheshire is the only county in England in which the fungus will grow.

The Pucciniæi are beginning to be plentiful now, and are most of them very conspicuous by their intense blackness. There is no difficulty in recognising them under the microscope, for they are all composed of two small cells. It is true the cells vary considerably in size, form, and other particulars, some have peduncles or stalks of various lengths, &c., and it is such variations upon which species are determined. The external appearances and habits of the plant also vary considerably. In many cases you find the fungus in minute spots, scattering irregularly and in plenty, on the leaf as in Puccinia compositarum (Puccinia calcitrapae), on Centauria, and many other plants. In other cases as in P. Smyrnii (Puccinia smyrnii) there are but a very few such spots, and the fungus is very likely to be overlooked. Then we have P. umbilici (*) where the fungus when fully ripe assumes the form of a dark (almost black) patch. In the case of P. anemone (Tranzschelia anemones), on the Wood anemone, we have the black spots of the fungus arranged artistically so as to give beauty to the leaf. In the fungus on the Betony, P. betonicæ (*) we have a different habit again, the brown spores of the fungus in small quantity first come upon the surface of the leaf by bursting the cuticle, and in the end when the fungus has arrived at perfect maturity, the entire leaf is covered with the smut. Thus the student by the external appearance of the fungus may soon find out the means of identification. The whole of the Puccinia I have named above have been gathered in June. Besides them there are numerous other leaf-fungi to be met with now, but most of them will linger on till next month, when we may make their acquaintance and introduce them to the reader.