and some other Grasses. 469 
hoi presence* communicates disease most frequently to the entire grain ; 
occasionally, however, only part of the albumen is attacked, and Tessier men- 
tions this fact in these words: ** C'est que la portion ergotée qui fait tantót la 
moitié, le tiers ou le quart, est la plus voisine du support de l'épi et se trouve 
inserée dans la balle, occupant la place du germe au lieu que la portion sem- 
blable à du seigle est à découvert et la plus éloignée du support." These 
observations prove, from the position of the ergotized portion, that internal 
causes were more likely to effect such than external ones, and would counte- 
nance the opinion that the embryo was in such cases the part diseased; but 
these examples are so rare that that supposition cannot be maintained : on 
the other hand, it is to be remarked, that no trace of the embryo exists in the 
perfect ergot, and if it could have ever been impregnated, it must have been 
as speedily destroyed ; and it is most likely that the grain is never impreg- 
nated, as the disease can be detected before the pollen is emitted ; which fact 
coincides with Leveillé's observations, who says (p.571.), ‘ Souvent on ren- 
contre les anthères collées à la surface; elles sont entières, lineaires, leurs 
loges fermées et remplies de pollen; circonstance, nous avons dit, qui avait 
été observée par Aymen et Beguillet, et qui prouve que le développement de 
la sphacélie précéde l’anthèse.” 
The diseased action thus engendered frequently destroys the vitality of the 
grain at the outset, so that it is unable to live under the effects produced by 
the fungus; specimens being sometimes found as if smothered by its rapid 
growth: when, however, the grain is not deprived of life, the diseased action 
vitiates all its constituents, and the perfect ergot soon takes the place of the 
healthy ovary, containing neither starch nor gluten, but an abundance of 
oily matter and other substances of a peculiar chemical nature. 
From many experiments and examinations that have been made and re- 
peated again and again, in order to obviate every source of error arising from 
*I can see no objection to the supposition, entertained also by others, that there may be numer- 
whose germs arrive only at maturity in the interior of others, and 
which, like Entozoa, may have the power of selecting different organs 
and others the organs of reproduc- 
and then burst through the epi- 
ous kinds of parasitic plants 
which may be called Entophytes, 
as places of development, some choosing the stem and the leaves, 
tion. It is not to be conceived how so many fungi develop under, 
dermis of many parts of plants, if this be not admitted. 
