266 



But amongst the mass of material was one film which as far surpasse'd in 

 interest the rest as possible. Mr. Wills and myself became fairly ecstatic when 

 we saw it. The single filament by some process had turned one end downwards, 

 and become so entangled in the coil that it could not get back again. The 

 movements, to all intents and purposes, were exactly the same as described 

 already for the double coil, except at the extreme top, and it is to that movement 

 that I attach so much interest as to give a paper on Spirillum. You can easily see 

 that if a serpentine movement continued only in one way all along the thread 

 continuously it would soon cease its motion when entangled at the top as my 

 specimen was ; but inasmuch as the movement reversed itself, a very beautfiul 

 form became visible, the countermotions making the thread at one time just as coils 

 of whipcord would be, if it were possible to give them exactly corresponding 

 motions to the Spirillum. At one point of the twisting process, the coil would be 

 just as string tightly twisted, but at the very opposite point the twist was as 

 though you held a fragment of the top with one finger and thumb firmly, and a 

 very short distance below used your other hand similarly, and brought your two 

 hands together a small distance, thereby making a sort of loop, whicli loop gave 

 an appearance like the accompanying sketch. With the exception of the wonder- 

 ful movements to be seen under the microscope, when examining the ciliary pro- 

 cesses of zoophytes, I never witnessed anything which in every way was more 

 beautiful than Spirillum Jenneri. 



THE LUMINOSITY OF FUNGI. 

 [By William Phillips, F.L.S.] 



The luminosity of fungi is a phenomenon which has always been of great interest 

 to Mycologists, and one that not unfrequently comes imder their observation. I 

 venture to think the subject is by no means exhausted, and that many problems 

 connected with it remain unsolved ; hence it may not be out of place to point 

 out, in a few words, the direction our investigations should take. Those living 

 in a well-wooded county like Herefordshire possess great facilities for the work, 

 having near at hand an abundance of decaying timber, on which luminous fungi 

 are generally found. Would it be too wild a proposal to make, that we should 

 organise a midnight foray in search of specimens ? I am aware we should run no 

 small risk of being seized as poachers and dragged ignominiously to the county 

 lock-up, and there be left to pine till break of day, but what of that if the exi- 

 gencies of science demand it ? 



In default of undertaking such a novel excursion I would suggest that we 

 put ourselves in communication with keepers on large estates, whose duty leads 

 them through the woods at night to guard the game, to inform us of any instances 

 of limiinosity in rotten wood that may come under their notice. Autumn and 

 early winter is the proper time to institute inquiry, for then the fungi which pro- 



