DR. LANKESTER, ON FUNGI IN WATER. 271 



exhibited a movement similar to that seen in the spore cases of 

 Aclihja prolifera, and eventually burst the spore cases, and 

 became distributed by their movements through the water. 



In a communication from Mr. Currie on this subject, he 

 says : " The circulation in the mycelium of Fungi would be a 

 novelty, but you are probably aware that there are many Algce 

 in which moving bodies similar to those in your fig. 17 have 

 been observed, and it is a question whether these bodies 

 are the produce of the Algcs themselves, or whether they are 

 the motile spores of aquatic Fungi which have forced their way 

 into the cells of the Alf/re.'" The bodies moving in the my- 

 celium of the fungus were much smaller than the spores which 

 escaped fi-om the spore-case. 



Since the occurrence of the above my attention has been drawn 

 to the production of a fungus in well-water by Dr. Daubeny, of 

 Oxford. The well was situated at Cirencester, on the premises 

 of Mr. Robert Brown, wine-merchant. His son-in-law, Mr. 

 Pooley, who communicated the facts to Dr. Daubeny, lived on 

 the premises, and with his family was in the habit of using the 

 water for washing and drinking purposes. Mr. Pooley's family 

 had suffered much fi'om illness, and one child died. Mr. 

 Pooley says : " My attention was first called to the question of 

 the water by Mr. Warner, who, from the rapid and fatal 

 symptoms in my little girl, and the occurrence of the same 

 symptoms in the rest on their return to the house, suggested 

 the possibility of the cause residing in the water." The water, 

 although before suspected, from being " bright and inodorous," 

 had not been regarded as the cause of the family illness. It 

 was now, however, again investigated, and Mr. Pooley states, 

 in a letter to Dr. Daubeny, that having a fortnight previously 

 filled an eight-gallon zinc cistern with the water, on going to 

 examine it he found " the surface covered to the thickness of 

 half an inch with a gelatinous opalescent cake." 



" The water was anal3'zed by Dr. Voelker, who found its chemical 

 constituents to be, in two imperial pints evaporated to dryness in water 

 bath, and residue dried in air bath at oOO° F. 



Grs. 



Inorganic substances 6*94: 



Organic matter . . . . . . 0*37 



7*31 grains. 



" Dr. Voelker considered, as far as it was chemically concerned, that the 

 water was a wholesome drinking water. I then submitted it to the 

 microscope, and Mr. Terr3''s report is as follows : — 



" ' General Hospital, Bath. 

 " ' I have been able to discover no trace of siilphuretted hydrogen nor 

 ammonia in the water. The fresh water iinder the microscope gives 



