85 



fact, an imperfect state of this plant, which appears to be very in- 

 discriminate in its tastes. 



This curious fungus counts its victims by myriads in the insect 

 world, either in the larval, the pupal, or the complete form ; neither 

 does it confine itself to one order of insects, having been detected on 

 beetles, wasps, moths, and a variety of others. How the spores first 

 find their way into the bodies of the little creatures is perfectly inex- 

 plicable. Certain it is that the parasite fixes itself within the insect 

 near the back of the head, and from thence grows up into the per- 

 fect plant, the animal's body forming both support and nourishment. 

 The example which has been longest before the world is that of 

 Cordiceps rohertsii, a native of New Zealand, where it is well-known 

 under the name of Hotete ; it is parasitical on the larvae of a moth 

 called Hepialus mrescens. The caterpillar when about to assume its 

 chrysalid dress, buries itseK below the surface of the ground, 

 generally at the root of a tree named Rata by the natives, (Metrosi- 

 deros rohusta). It is during its subterranean existence, and while 

 yet in the larval state, that the fungus begins to form, gradually 

 growing up through the soil to a height of seven or eight inches, 

 consuming meanwhile the internal substance of the caterpillar, which 

 of course never arrives at its next stage of being. Of this wonderful 

 production Dr. Hooker writes : — "I am still much at a loss to 

 account for its development. It is found in spring ; the caterpillar 

 is buried in the ground, as is the lower part of the fungus. Both 

 Mr. Taylor and Mr. Colenso hold the same opinion, that in the act 

 of working the soil the spores of the fungus are lodged in the first 

 joint of the neck, and the caterpillar settles head upwards to undergo 

 its change, when the vegetable developes itself. The whole insect 

 seems entirely metamorphosed into vegetable, with the exception of 

 the skin and intestines."* 



Many other species of this remarkable fungus, about twenty-five 

 altogether, have been traced in difierent countries, all parasitical on 

 various insects. The larva of the British Ghost Moth (Hepialus 

 lupulinus), which buries itself in the ground previous to becoming 

 a chrysalis, is attacked by Cordiceps entomorrhiza. It consists of a 

 white branched mycelium spreading externally over the insect, and 

 internally absorbing the natural structure. From near the head of 

 the larva, generally from the second joint of the body, arises a 

 stem, nearly two inches in length, bearing at its summit a small egg- 

 shaped head in which the fructifying organs are placed, the length 

 and direction of the stem being influenced by the position of the 

 insect. The stem is externally of a dirty yellowish colour, and the 

 head of a brick-red or livid bro-wn. The whole substance is fleshy 

 and fragile when fresh, so as to snap readily when roughly handled, t 



The chrysalis of another British Moth has been found with the 

 stem of Cordiceps militaris growing from its head. 



Nor is the vegetable less pernicious to the perfect insect. A 

 species of ichneumon-fly falls a victim to Cordiceps myrmecophila^ 

 and there is a West Indian wasp, which is condemned to carry 

 about ' ' the clubs of this fungus with their curled stems, until the 



*Hooker, (Journal of Botany, 1841. ) 

 tM. C. Cooke. (Science Gossip, 1866.) 



