CHAPTER IV.
GEOGEAPHICAL D IST E IBU T IO N OE EU NG I.
T h e reproductive bodies of Fungi are so small and easily
wafted by the air,* and, moreover, are in certain cases capable
of enduring such high and low temperatures without
losing their power of germination, that there are far greater
facilities for their distribution than for that of phænogams.
Wherever, therefore, similar conditions of soil, moisture, and
other external accidents exist, or, at least, such conditions as
are suited to the development of particular species, we are prepared
to meet with the same or similar Fungi. Accordingly,
if we take almost any extratropical island or district, we find
a large portion of species identical with those of Europe,
besides a certain number of closely-allied species; and in proportion
as such places present at times conditions approximating
those of tropical or subtropical countries, we have a
varying proportion of truly tropical or subtropical species. If,
for instance, we take Tasmania, of which only a portion of
the Fungi are at present known, we find, out of 275 species,
* Sporea of Fungi, for instance, have been detected apparently uninjured m
the dust o f the trade winds, in flakes o f snow collected from the air. on the
mucous sm-faces of the internal organs of animals, in the dejections o f cholera,
etc.
113 British, 20 European species which may be expected to
occur in this country, 95 Tasmanian species of European type,
19 subtropical, with 28 of extra-European type—Chilian, Antarctic,
and Tasmanian. I f New Zealand be the point of comparison,
we have in 158 species 48 British species, 6 European,
3 cosmopolites, 19 tropical and subtropical, with a few from
various localities, 42 new species of European forms, 5 Australian
forms and 28 subtropical, or, in other words, 58 tropical
and subtropical types, including all that are not European, and
100 European. The proportion of European types is, therefore,
much larger in Tasmania than New Zealand, though we
have still a large proportion in the latter locality. Even in
tropical countries—that is, tropical not only as to latitude but
as to climate, for with high elevations we may have alpine
seasons—we always find a certain though variable proportion
of European species. In Cuba, for instance, there is a fourth,
in Java a third, while in the Philippine Islands there is only
a twentieth of such species. Amongst these are a few species
found in every part of the globe.
The scope of this work does not admit of any closer computation,
though materials are not wanting for fuller comparisons
than have yet been made. Still much yet remains to
be done amongst tropical Fungi. Those of the greater part
of India, for instance, except as regards the Himalayas, are
almost unknown. I t must he remembered, however, that altitude
has more to do with the presence of particular species
than latitude. As regards the Sikkim Himalayas, for example,
we have in the hissing hot valleys towards their base,
truly tropical species; higher up are subtropical species of
Ceylon and Java; then those of southern Europe; while as
you ascend, multitudes of species either identical with or
closely allied to northern European species make their ap-
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