262 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 54 



caused a darkening of the bread ; for on this weed he has a chapter 

 apart, 1 as well as another upon smut 2 in grains. 



From our view point of four centuries later it may not be easy to 

 understand how such childish fancies could hold their places firmly 

 in gifted minds which, after all, were seriously bent on cold scientific 

 enquiry into all nature's mysteries and were often successful; but of 

 the fact itself there is abundant proof. 



1 Stirp. Contm., p. 662. 



2 Ibid., p. 666. 



