468 Mr. E. J. Quexerr on the Ergot of Rye, 
fected, it is conceived that the foregoing remarks have demonstrated that this 
body is produced by a particular species of fungus, which develops itself 
when it occupies the grain (whilst young), causing its remarkable alteration 
in form, colour, chemical composition and properties. 
The manner in which this singular production probably originates (for at 
present much respecting this part remains uncertain) is, that the sporidia, or 
more likely the nuclei within them, are by some means introduced into the 
interior of the grass* and ultimately arrive at the grain, which they find 
the most suitable matrix for their development; or they may be brought into 
contact with the young grain from without, probably by the viscid fluid, but 
this is less likely to be the case, as the ergot can be detected before the pale 
have opened to admit the fluid. 
When, however, they have been brought into contact with it, they lose no 
time in the work of reproduction, finding their way to the exterior, cover- 
ing its body with multitudes of sporidia, and communicating disease to the 
healthy tissue, and thereby destroying so much of the coats as in the perfect 
grain constitutes the pericarpial covering. 
Secale cereale. Triticum repens. Festuca pratensis, 
Elymus sabulosus. Dactylis glomerata. Melica nutans, 
Hordeum pratense, Lolium perenne. Alopecurus pratensis, 
murinum. Arundo phragmites. 
Phæbus gives a more extensive list than the above, amongst which he enumerates several kinds of 
wheat, barley and oats similarly diseased, together with some Cyperaceous plants. 
* It is stated by Phoebus, and by Christison in his Treatise on Poisons, 2nd edit., that Wiggers had 
produced ergots by infecting the healthy grains previously with the sporidia. Leveillé also states 
(p. 570, op. cit.), ** M. Simonnet s'en est assuré par une expérience trés-simple, qui consiste à percer 
avec une épingle la partie inférieure de chaque fleur qui contient ce suc. Constamment cet ob- 
servateur a vu l'ergot s'y développer." This last experiment is not cf much value, for it generally 
happens that where the viscid juice exists there will be an ergot, whether a puncture has been made 
or hot: the experiment ought to have been performed on those grains not moistened by any viscid 
juice. 
Mr. Bauer (Penny Mag. 1833, p. 126 and 182,) has shown from interesting and delicate experi- 
ments, that the smut-balls" on corn can be certainly produced by inoculating the seeds before sow- 
ing them with the sporules of the fungus producing such effects, viz. Uredo fœtida and segetum; and 
this excellent observer has proved that these bodies are carried into the interior by the sap after being 
ETETA by the roots, and it appears the most probable that the same takes place in the production of 
rgot. 
