a 
Miscellanies. 195 
the latter transformation, the conclusion seems irresistible, that the es- 
cape of all the materials in the state of gas, while silicon, if produced, 
would necessarily have remained in the fixed and solid form, proves, 
as far as a negative is capable of being proved, the incorrectness of 
that gentleman’s experiments. Respectfully yours, CLarK _— 
Philadelphia, Sept. 12, 1841. ra 
... 2. Curious Microscopic Fungus, Craterium pyriforme. : 
To B. Suuiman, Jr.: Dear Sir—Specimens of this beautiful micro- 
scopic fungus, which were gathered on Clapham Common, England, 
by Dr. Mantell, in August, were received by me ina living state on the 
13th of November. In the letter accompanying them, Dr. M. remarks ; 
“I send you a pebble or two of flint, to which is adhering that exquisite 
microscopic fungus, the Craterium pyriforme, which is as white as 
Show, and upon being punctured gives out a bright scarlet fluid. 1 have 
had pebbles on my mantlepiece for months, and yet the vegetable was 
alive and bled as usual. 1 therefore hope a voyage across the Atlantic 
will not destroy them, and that you will be able to see the phenomenon, 
Which to those who have not seen it before is most striking. But prob- 
ably you have the species in your own country.” 
‘The specimens received were still alive, and exhibited the bleeding 
very beautifully. 
These specimens having made me acquainted with the form and 
mode of growth of this interesting plant, I was led to seek for it 
on our own rocks, and on the very first stone which | woes 
and which I picked up within a hundred yards of my house at 
Point, I found it growing abundantly. Further search showed ania it 
is very frequent on the loose fragments of primitive rocks in this vicin- 
ity. To the naked eye it appears like snow-white specks, not more 
than one fourth the size of a pin’s head; when magnified it appears 
like a little cup, with a cover beautifully marked with radiating lines. 
On being punctured, it emits a blood-red liquid filled with sporules. It 
grows most abundantly in small crevices in hard siliceous stones. 1 do 
not find this species mentioned in Schweinitz’s Catalogue of American 
J. W. Bartey. 
j ‘West Point, Mav entie: 15, 1841 — 
8. Yellow Showers of Pollen—In Vol. xxx1x, page 399, of this 
Journal, we gave an account of a yellow substance fallen at Troy, 
N. Y., and then conjectured to be the sporules of Lycopodium. Sub- 
—waily,. our correspondent, W. G. of Otisco, N. Y., sent us a note, 
ng that such showers of yellow beeGer were due to the pollen 
forest trees, and that they were more frequently observed after 
*t gusts than at other aS because the pollen shaken from the 
