Apliis nimicis on the MaDgel-Warzal in SJirojyskire. 5 



" Those insects which were killed by the red fungus had died 

 in a standing position with the legs extended (Pi. III. A, fig. 1) 

 or, more rarely, folded beneath the body. The bodies of some 

 were only partially discoloured by the little patches of the 

 fungus, wdiile others were completely covered, except the 

 legs, so as to conceal all markings of the body. In this last 

 condition they are considerably enlarged, but retain their 

 general outline, and are firm and tough under the knife. 

 When viewed with a 1-inch object-glass the fungus is seen as 

 a closely-packed layer of glistening reddish-brown particles, 

 which, when recourse is had to the higher power of a quarter 

 of an inch, are resolved into elliptic or obovate cells 

 supported on subcylindrical elongated cells issuing from 

 the inside of the insect's body (figs. 8-12). Dividing one 

 of the bodies by a longitudinal cut, the viscera are seen to 

 be absorbed and replaced by a compact mass of fungus-threads 

 of the same colour as those on the surface. Examining this 

 mass under a quarter-inch object-glass, it is seen to be made 

 up of more or less elongated tubular cells (figs. 2-7), varying 

 in diameter from "005 to "015 millim., and in length from "05 

 to T5 millim. ; they are irregularly bent, sometimes branched 

 (fig. 5), and occasionally septate (fig. 7) ; the interior of the 

 cells is filled with coarsely granular protoplasm, with nume- 

 rous large vacuoles. The ends of these cells force themselves 

 through the body of the insect to the outside, and bear 

 conidia on their summits, which are formed by abstriction 

 (figs. 8-12). If these conidia are detached from the conidio- 

 phore before they are mature, as happens under the pressure 

 of the covering-glass, the base is truncate (fig. 13, a, a, a), 

 but if allowed to mature they are elliptic or obovate (fig. 13, 

 b, h) ; they are occasionally in a later stage observed throw- 

 ing out germ-tubes at either end (fig. 13, c, c). 



" From the above brief description it will be at once appa- 

 rent that this rusty-red fungus causing the destruction of the 

 aphides is a close ally of the well-known Empusa muscce^ 

 Cohn, which attacks and kills the common house-fiy. Fre- 

 senius has created the genus Entomophthora * for the reception 

 of these insect-killing species, in which Dr. Winter, in his 

 new edition of Habenhorst's ' Kryptogamen Flora,' includes 

 ten species. One of these, E. ayhidis^ Hoff"m.t, is found on 

 an aphis on Cornus sanguinea ; but this is essentially diiferent 

 from the one found on mangel, as I have been able to satisfy 

 myself by the examination of an authentic specimen kindly 



* Bot. Zeitiuig-, 1856, p. 883. 



t Fresenius, " Uebei* die Pilzgattung Entomophthora,'^ iu Abhaodl. der 

 Senckenb. natm-. Gesellsch. Band ii. p. 208, t. ix. figs. 59-07. 



