Scientific Intelligence — Zoology. 195 



ncglectud to examine minutely, on account of the extremely small 

 openino- to it, which prevented enti'ance, except by creeping on the 

 hands and knees, and even then allowed it with great difficulty. One 

 day, however, he succeeded in getting in, and his surprise was great 

 on finding himself in a large vaulted cavern, so high that his hand 

 could not reach the top of it. He advanced a little way, but finding 

 it perfectly dark, and that he was in danger of losing sight of the 

 orifice by which he had entered, he immediately got out again, and 

 went in search of lio-ht and assistance. On returning, and making 

 their way again into the cavern, they discovered that it contained a 

 vast number of skeletons, which appeared to be those of hares or rab- 

 bits. They were extended on the ground, all placed in a nearly 

 similar manner, and shewing at once that they could not have been 

 brought there by any beasts of prey, as the bones were all perfect, 

 and even the cartilages were preserved ; and on of some of thera there 

 were even portions of the hair and flesh not decayed. 



10. Miraculous Blood spots on Human Food. — Under the in- 

 fluence of certain circumstances, of which it is difficult, if not iiripos- 

 sible, now to form any precise idea, there has appeared upon bread, 

 and food of other kinds, spots of a vivid red colour, closely resem- 

 bling drops of blood. During the siege of Tyre, Alexander was 

 alarmed by the appearance of bloody spots on the soldiers' bread. At 

 a period nearer our own age, in 1510, similar stains were seen upon 

 the consecrated wafers, and thirty-eight unfortunate Jews were ac- 

 cused of having caused, by their sorceries, this phenomenon, and suf- 

 fered death, by burning, for their supposed sacrilege. In 1819, simi- 

 lar kinds of red spots appeared amongst the inhabitants of Padua and 

 its environs. At the commencement of the month of August in that 

 year, a farmer of Segnaro, named Pittarello, was I'rightened by see- 

 ing drops of blood sprinkled upon his poriidge, made of the maize 

 which grew in the neighbourhood of his village. His alarm was 

 greatly increased, when, for many days following, he saw the same 

 red spots appear on all his food — new bread, rice, veal, fish, boiled 

 and roast fowls. The cure was appealed to, that he might exercise 

 his sacred functions to expel the evil spirit which produced these 

 alarming appearances ; but prayers were ineffectual, and the neigh- 

 bours of the unfortunate Pittarello supposed that he was under a 

 celestial malediction. Incited by curiosity, a large number of per- 

 sons went to Segnaro, and a commission was eventually named to 

 investigate the nature and causes of this phenomenon. M. Sette 

 was appointed to this task. On examining under the microscope 

 these miraculous red spots, he discovered that they were formed by 

 myriads of small bodies, which appeared to be microscopic fungi, 

 and to which he gave the name of zao<jalactina imctropha. He suc- 

 ceeded in propagating these minute organic productions, and in a 

 memoir published at Venice in 1824, he gives a detailed history of 

 them. During the year 1848, the same phenomenon ui)]»eared at 

 Berlin, and fixed the attention of Ehrenberg. This celebrated micro- 



