30 



IxNSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



try whether this supposed seed would grow if sown on 

 vegetable substances, and found that it did so. On 

 his experiments being repeated at Bologna, however, 

 it was discovered that the mould grew equally well 

 where none of the black powder had been sown; but 

 Spallanzani, by more accurate attention, contirmed the 

 conclusion of Micheli. He collected a great quan 

 tity of the dust, and, taking a number of pieces of 

 moistened bread, apples, pears, gourds, &c, sowed 

 some thickly, others sparingly, and others not at all. 

 The result was, that on the unsown substances the 

 mould did appear, but several days later, and then 

 greatly less in quantity, than on the sown substances; 

 while of these two, the pieces thickly sown had more 

 than double the quantity of the pieces thinly sown, 

 though, when it came up thick, it did not grow so 

 tall. 



Microscopic views of apple and pear mould. A A, Part of a shrivelled 

 apple, covered with mould on the inside, n n a a, several of the indivi- 

 dual mould plants highly magnified. 6, a branched one. c d, seed-ves- 

 sels, one bursting an<i sciUteriiig its seed, e, ouc mnshroom-shaped. f a 

 portion of pear mould, of a branched form. ' 



We were much struck last autumn (1829), upon 

 cutting an apple asunder, to find in the seed-cells a 



