Fig. 10. 



A curious fungus-like fubftance, although not really 

 fo, as far as we know. It was brought me from among 

 fome fir fire-wood, and appears to be a particular de- 

 compofition of the longitudinal fibres of the wood, 

 giving them a white cottony texture, the crofs fibres 

 being loll:. This feems the fame as found by Mr. Jamefon 

 in Scotland, which he aptly defcribes as follows : "The 

 wood having loft its latitudinal cohefion renders it 

 foft ; but the longitudinal fibres are ftrong and tough, 

 fo that they are fplit and twifted to form halters for 

 cattle in Aberdeenfhire." I do not know that the re- 

 maining white fibres in mine are tovigh enough for a 

 fimilar ufe : they are, however, tolerably ftrong when 

 in fmall bundles. The ftronger or turpentine part of 

 the wood is nearly equally liable to the fame decom- 

 pofition. 



I have pieces of oak, where a fimilar decompofition 

 has taken place, in regular fpots, about an inch in cir- 

 cumference, with mucor in the centre of each. 



A mucus-like fubftance is fometimes formed in 

 water, on rotten leaves, in vinegar, and on or in ink, 

 and among preferves, &c. if too watery, which, when 

 produced on the furface, have the round dufty head, 

 or other appearances, of Mucor niucedo f or Ligni fragus. 

 The fibres, on examination when dry, feem the fame 

 as the ftipes of other Mucors when entangled or con- 

 denfed. 



TAB. CCCLXXXVIII. 

 Fig. I. AURICULARIA persistens. Bull. 



1 AM fomewhat doubtful as to this being a fpecies, 

 as it differs very little, if at all, from fome varieties of 

 Aurtcularia reflexa^ which, in wet and cold feafons, 

 are often purple, and bordered with purple in various 

 ways. 



