1885.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY, 179 



pie a fact as the mixture of calcareous earth with ordinary run- 

 ning water, particularly after severe storms, at which times the ig- 

 norant mind would be in a state of easy impressibility and credu- 

 lity. I suppose, too, that under favorable conditions some of the 

 lower forms of both vegetable and animal life might multiply so 

 enormously as to give a milky hue to considerable bodies of 

 water, as they do constantly under our own observation in a 

 smaller way. 



9. The Spotting of Bread, Grain, Leaves, Stones, etc., with 

 Blood, is a phenomenon easily accounted for by a very slight 

 knowledge of the various forms and habits of the red and or- 

 ange-yellow fungi. The bloody mould of bread has always 

 been comparatively common, but the exact character of the or- 

 ganism producing it has never yet been clearly determined. 

 Ehrenberg describes it as an animalcule, under the name of 

 Monas prodigiosa. It has since been transferred to the algae, 

 with the title of Palmella prodigiosa ; but there is still some 

 doubt as to whether it should not be considered more properly 

 a fungus. At any rate, it is to be found described in all the 

 text-books. The gory staining of grain is attributable to what 

 is known as "red rust," or "corn-rust " {Trichol^asis), which in 

 certain seasons is very plentiful on all kinds of grasses. The 

 Rev. M. J. Berkeley speaks of a wheat-field in which not a 

 single leaf was free from this fungus, "insomuch that a person 

 walking through the wheat was completely painted with the 

 spores, of a fine rust-red ;" and of course the spores would 

 readily color the hands of laborers gathering the grain. The 

 spotting of leaves of shrubs and trees is an occurrence within 

 the experience of probably everyone of us, and simply to 

 mention ^£cidium, Puccinia, and Uredo is to suggest the explana- 

 tion of numerous old-time marvels. 



ID. T^re Flowing of Blood in the ocean, rivers, springs, etc., 

 is to be accounted for in some instances by the presence, in un- 

 usual quantities, of red algge seen through the distorted eye- 

 sight of awe-stricken ignoramuses or pictured through the 

 perverted imaginations of prejudiced literati. Thus the Sar- 

 gasso Sea became to the ancient mind a stream of blood and 

 the abode of death. It is said that certain infusoria occasion- 

 ally become so abundant in the ocean as to give it a livid hue, 

 and a rather fanciful origin has thus been invented for the 



