458 Mr. E. J. Quexert on the Ergot of Rye, 
viewed as a transparent object with a low magnifying power, exhibits a gra- 
nular centre surrounded by a purplish border: the longitudinal section shows 
the same granular appearance along its middle part, bounded also on either 
side by the purple border. There is now something deceptive about these 
objects if immersed in water, there being then observed issuing from them 
myriads of minute particles resembling sporidia, which completely fill the field 
of view. These however are not sporidia, but particles of an oily nature, 
together with certain other granules the cells contain (analogous to those 
found in the healthy grain with the fecula), which now float out from the di- 
vided cells, and may be readily taken, as they were by Philippar, for sporidia, 
if the magnifying power be not sufficiently distinct and powerful. 
As the ergot approaches maturity its colour becomes dark purple*, and its 
surface generally presents many cracks and fissures: its shape at this time is 
subject to much variation, being generally elongated and tapering away at 
each end, sometimes occurring quite straight, at others slightly or very much 
curved, there being besides these many other forms of length and thickness 
constantly observed ; its section transversely is more or less triangular, and 
presents a furrow on one or both sides, especially in the rye, though these are 
not discoverable in the ergots of all grasses. 
When the ergot has arrived at its perfect development, it still retains in 
those specimens that have not been exposed to injury the appendage at its 
apex, a few hairs surrounding the remains of the stigmas, and likewise the 
two scales at its base, which appear but very little changed, and its surface 
has now become almost deprived of sporidia. 
It appears from the examination of the healthy grains of rye that the ergot 
corresponds to the seed without its pericarpial covering ; for it is found that 
the grain of the rye has two distinct lay 
: ers for its pericarp, the outer being 
very thin and composed of elongated cells, whose longer axis is perpendicular, 
he longer axis is horizontal: within 
» Which is coloured of a reddish brown 
a layer of cells, which have somewhat 
* In several instances ergots have been found not of 
a violet black colour, but of different lighter 
shades, and even of the colour of the healthy grain, nn 
