AND CONTENTS OF THE MOUTH. 303 



queiitly opened and formed into two, so that it shows five upper 

 stems with the base downwards, and two lower stems, /and ^, 

 with the base upwards.* 



In the largest stalk, «, the gemmules of reserve are distinctly 

 observed, and these are still better seen in a\ where a part of that 

 stalk is reproduced (magnified to 2,500 diameters) after a long 

 saturation in glycerine (see later on). In ^, the ear is partially 

 scattered, so that a few spores remain in situ, and the stalk is 

 entirely visible. In d and <?, cumuli of sporules are seen in those 

 points where the ears are partially scattered. Then from the 

 concussion the sporules are driven towards the top, leaving bare 

 the stalk near the base. In c, the ear is broken, and shows a clear 

 section, but without its superior part. 



In the patina dentaria I never came across ears so long 

 and perfect. In fact, the better kept ears^ bent down, in / and 

 g^ are the longest found hitherto; as that in /measures 166^, or one 

 sixth of a millimetre, which corresponds to one and a half the 

 thickness of a cover-glass, nine to the millimetre. The number 

 of the sporules implanted in these ears (upon six longitudinal 

 lines) may be calculated, at the lowest, to be 720. 



We shall have, here, to consider two points. The first is, that 

 a similar specimen cannot be supposed to have been previously 

 formed on the teeth, then fallen in the expectoration with saliva, 

 to be found there second hand, as the fructifications do not rise 

 so high in the patina dentaria, nor could they have been so well 

 kept after the various manipulations. The circumstances under 

 which they were found incline rather to the belief that they had 

 germinated on the mucous film from filaments there deposited, 

 and were being fed from the materials of the sputum itself. 



In the present case, we shall not take into consideration 

 whether the presence of red blood corpuscles may have favoured 

 the development of those ears. It is certain that they are found 

 more abundant in the patina dentaria of persons suffering from 

 tenderness of the gums, and whose teeth are, in the morning, 

 somewhat besmeared with blood. 



The second point is that the specimen in question is sufficient 

 to clear up any doubt whatever about the nature of the above- 



* In the Plate, Fig. 16^ is erroneously marked Fig. \\B. 



