44 BOOK OF THE DAMNED 



years later, another object, like the one said to have fallen in 1819, 

 had been found at "nearly the same place." Prof. Hitchcock was 

 invited by Prof. Graves to examine it. Exactly like the first one. 

 Corresponded in size and color and consistency. The chemic reac- 

 tions were the same. 



Prof. Hitchcock recognized it in a moment. 



It was a gelatinous fungus. 



He did not satisfy himself as to just the exact species it belonged 

 to, but he predicted that similar fungi might spring up within twenty- 

 four hours 



But, before evening, two others sprang up. 



Or we've arrived at one of the oldest of the exclusionists' conven- 

 tions or nostoc. We shall have many data of gelatinous substance 

 said to have fallen from the sky: almost always the exclusionists 

 argue that it was only nostoc, an Alga, or, in some respects, a fung- 

 ous growth. The rival convention is "spawn of frogs or of fishes." 

 These two conventions have made a strong combination. In in- 

 stances where testimony was not convincing that gelatinous matter 

 had been seen to fall, it was said that the gelatinous substance was 

 nostoc, and had been upon the ground in the first place: when the 

 testimony was too good that it had fallen, it was said to be spawn 

 that had been carried from one place to another in a whirlwind. 



Now, I can't say that nostock is always greenish, any more than 

 I can say that blackbirds are always black, having seen a white one: 

 we shall quote a scientist who knew of flesh-colored nostoc, when so 

 to know was convenient. When we come to reported falls of gel- 

 atinous substances, I'd like it to be noticed how often they are 

 described as whitish or grayish. In looking up the subject, myself, 

 I have read only of greenish nostoc. Said to be greenish, in Web- 

 ster's Dictionary said to be "blue-green" in the New International 

 Encyclopedia "from bright green to olive-green" (Science Gossip, 

 10-114); "green" (Science Gossip, 7-260); "greenish" (Notes 

 and Queries, 1-11-219). It would seem acceptable that, if many 

 reports of white birds should occur, the birds are not blackbirds, even 

 though there have been white blackbirds. Or that, if often reported, 

 grayish or whitish gelatinous substance is not nostoc, and is not 

 spawn if occurring in times unseasonable for spawn. 



"The Kentucky Phenomenon." 



So it was called, in its day, and now we have an occurrence that 

 attracted a great deal of attention in its own time. Usually these 

 things of the accursed have been hushed up or disregarded sup- 



