70 
streneth of their fibrous tissue. Various suggestions have been 
made as to the manner in which the plants become affected, and 
how the spores enter and germinate with the plant. One is, that 
they may enter the seed at the time of its development, and 
remain dormant till the grain germinates. The coincident diffusion 
of the spores and of the Pollen here noticed, rather supported that 
view, but the fact also observed that the ears of corn developed 
from a single grain were not all diseased appeared to militate 
against it. This partial and limited attack of the parasite rather 
points to the incidence of some terms, as selection or proximity 
which may be co-efficient either with an external or internal 
_ inyasion upon the particular portion of the growth that is 
destroyed. The specimen in which the upper part of the spike 
was noticed to live, whilst the lower spikelets had been destroyed, 
was watched for a month, and then taken on the 2nd of August. 
It grew in the (4) section of Wheat. The stem was green and 
vigorous and of the same height as the surrounding sound plants. 
The rachis was also greenish and bore nine spikelets. The ten 
below had been destroyed by Smut, and all traces gone. The 
result, briefly stated, was thus :— 
10 spikelets entirely destroyed. 
3 were greyish or green, the parts surrounding the seeds were 
partially destroyed or slightly affected; the corn was 
destroyed in the lowest one, and variously affected in a 
somewhat progressive manner in the two other spikelets. 
A sound grain was found in the upper one. 
- 5 spikelets were sound with theusual proportion of perfect grain 
1 spikelet at apex abortive. 
19 total spikelets in the spike. : y 
This sort of Wheat produces two and occasionally three grains 
of Corn, instead of tour ; the full amount in a spikelet. 
XVI. 
MALFORMED FRUIT OF A BLACKTHORN 
OR SLOE-TREE, 
BY 
MR. J. REID, F.R.C.S.Eng. 
Read NOVEMBER 4th, 1886. 
The several specimens exhibited with others in a sound state — 
were taken from one of three shrubs growing on the edge of a deep” 
ditch of a cultivated field, The shrubs were not well grown, were 
partly damaged and appeared to have been trimmed. The two 
other shrubs were barren. The fruit was taken in June, 1886; 
the sound fruit of a dark green colour was perfect in all its parts. - 
The endocarp was hard and thick, and was fully occupied within 
