136 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[June 1, 1SGS. 



Konig were captured at the same time at Dollstedt, 

 a village lying about eight miles from Gotha. Three 

 men, -while engaged in threshing, were led by 

 a squeaking which they heard to examine a joist in 

 a shed near to the spot where they were working. 

 A quantity of straw was piled up from the floor to 

 the roof; removing this, they could see in a large 

 hole in the joist a number of rats (forty-two as it 

 afterwards appeared), all of which were in due time 

 dragged out; but what was the men's astonishment 

 to find that no less than twenty-eight of these rats 

 were united together by their tails — their heads 

 when the bodies were extended forming a complete 

 circle ; and that the remaining fourteen were also, 

 in like manner, bound into one mass. The auimals 

 were all about the same size, with clean glossy coats; 

 but were evidently half famished. The two monsters 

 were carried into their employer's house, where they 

 caused no little excitement among the villagers. 

 As soon, however, as the curiosity of the people 

 was satisfied, the unfortunate rats were all put to 

 death ; but it was only by swinging them about for 

 some time that they were able to separate two or 

 three of the bodies from the general mass. The 

 tails of those thus separated showed clearly the im- 

 pression made by contact with their neighbours." — 

 Brehn. Illustrirtes Thierleben, vol. ii., p. 125. 



The other authority to whom I alluded is Leunis, 

 the author of " Das Thierreich." Under the head 

 of Mus decumanus (Brown Rat) he writes : " The 

 viscid tails of young rats, when enclosed in a very 

 narrow space, are sometimes found to have grown 

 together, and such a combination is commonly 

 called a Ratten Konig. This curious circumstance 

 occurs equally among individuals of the next 

 species, M. rattus, or Black Rat. In the Natural 

 History Museum at Altenburg there is preserved a 

 Ratten Konig formed by the union of twenty-three 

 animals." 



I will only ask, in conclusion, Are there any similar 

 cases on record in England ? 



Clifton. W. TV". Spicer. 



MAPLE BLIGHT 



( Uncinula bicomis) . 



T\URING the autumnal months, the leaves of 

 -*-' the Maple and Sycamore are liable to become 

 infested with a kind of blight, which gives the 

 leaves a whitened appearance, as though they were 

 covered with finely-powdered chalk. This appear- 

 ance may be overlooked when the plants are grow- 

 ing beside a chalky road in dry weather, for then all 

 leaves look whitened alike ; but when examined by 

 means of a pocket lens, a number of minute black 

 dots are seen scattered over the white stratum. 

 These are the receptacles which contain the fruit 

 of the " blight " or fungus. If a fragment be sub- 



mitted to the microscope, under an inch objective, 

 the little black dots will assume a most elegant 

 appearance. Each dot is a little sphere, flattened 

 at the poles, with a reticulated surface, attached 

 at the base by branching root-like threads to the 

 leaf, and surrounded by a fringe or circlet of white 

 radiating branchlets — divided once or twice — with 

 their ultimate extremities curved or coiled in a 

 circinate manner.* Thus much only will be ob- 

 served of them in situ, save that when young their 

 surface is yellowish, becoming browner and darker 

 with age. If one of the receptacles is broken up 

 and viewed with a higher power, it will be found to 



Fig. 138. Maple Blight— Lower figs, end of appendages, 

 and spores. 



contain numerous pear-shaped bags (asci), each 

 holding eight spores. This is the fruit of the blight, 

 which is called Uncinula on account of its hooked 

 appendages, and bicomis because the hooks or horns 

 are double, or in pairs. 



This kind of parasite is common both in Europe 

 and America. "With us, similar species are found 

 on poplar and willow leaves, and others less like, as 

 belonging to different genera, on guelder-rose, ber- 

 berry, gooseberry, hop, crowfoot, pea, grass, and the 

 leaves of various other plants. All of these deserve 

 a greater popularity with microscopists than they 

 have yet secured. Our American readers will find 

 a large and beautiful species {Uncinula polychata) 

 on the leaves of Celtis accident alis. 



In the above figure one of the receptacles is given 

 as seen under a half-inch objective, and beneath this 

 three spores more highly magnified. On each side 

 of the latter one of the tips, or outer extremities of 

 the appendages. 



* Mounted slides of this and other microscopic fungi may 

 be obtained of Mr. C. Collins, Great Titchnetd Street. 



