342 



The plant springs from the neck of the animal, and grows 

 two or more inches in length ; in this specimen it has unfortu- 

 nately been broken or cut off near the head. There is another 

 species of this fungus which has been found developed in the 

 bodies of full grown wasps. Rev. Mr. Berkely, in the London 

 Journal of Botany says, that it commences its development on 

 the living wasp, and, according to Dr. Maddiana, arrives at its 

 full growth during the life of the insect; with the caterpillar 

 this is impossible, for it has been ascertained that the entire body 

 of the animal is filled with a pith, or corky vegetable substance, 

 displacing the intestines. In other words, the whole insect, 

 according to Dr. Hooker, is metamorphosed into vegetable, with 

 the exception of the skin, which remains sound, and the intestines. 

 The transformation takes place while the animal is under ground, 

 where it buries itself for the purpose. The same author is of 

 opinion that the spores of the fungus are lodged in the first joint 

 of the neck, and the caterpillar settles head upwards to undergo 

 its change, when the vegetable develops itself 



One of the species of this insect is a celebrated drug in the 

 Chinese Pharmacopceia ; but from its rarity is only used by the 

 Emperor's physician. The Chinese have a notion that it is a 

 plant in summer, and a worm in winter. In volume 2nd, of the 

 work referred to, is a plate showing the plant as it appears when 

 fully developed. The thanks of the Society were voted for this 

 donation. 



Prof. Agassiz gave a description of a new naked-eyed 

 Medusa, belonging to a new genus, which he proposed to 

 call Rhacostoma Atlanticum. 



Instead of the usual structure in these animals with eight or 

 ten tentacles, there are in this over one hundred appendages to 

 the mouth, and five or six hundred at the circumference. The 

 mouth is so wide, that it has been supposed to be wanting ; the 

 union of the appendages to the mouth into a firm cord forms an 

 alimentary cavity ; these are formed of very large polygonal 

 cells, which give a remarkable power of enlarging and contract- 

 ing this cavity. This is the largest of the family. In the cir- 

 cular tube of the margin is a nervous cord ; at night it emitted 

 light, and, when stimulated, the whole outline of the nervous 



