THE PAGE OF NATURE. 239 



carefully removed and placed in saccharine matter, on 

 fruits or in syrup, in favourable circumstances, supplied 

 with the requisite conditions of warmth and moisture, 

 and attentively watched, when, in the course of a few 

 days or weeks, they were all found to develop themselves, 

 some into the common blue mould, and others into the 

 common green mould. These experiments render it ex- 

 tremely probable, that there is no fungus found infesting 

 any part of the human body, or any part of the economy 

 of other animals, however different or abnormal the 

 appearance it may present, which is not referrible to one 

 or other of the common genera of mould, Penicillium, 

 Aspergillus, and Mucor ! 



But perhaps the most extraordinary and abnormal 

 forms of mould are those which it assumes in liquids. 

 Fungi, as a class, are entirely confined to solid substances ; 

 but there are very few fluids containing saccharine mat- 

 ter in which this all-pervading mould does not occur. 

 Wine, cider, tinctures, syrups, vinegar, catsup, not unfre- 

 quently become mothery, that is, present the appearance 

 of fibres or flocculent threads running through them. 

 Every one is familiar with the tough mass that is so 

 often brought up on the point of the pen from the ink- 

 holder. This flocculent matter is the undeveloped mycelium 

 of the green or blue mould. While growing in decom- 

 posing liquids, it loses all resemblance to the same plant 

 when growing on decaying fruits and dead organic matter 

 exposed to the air, and becomes a soft, slimy, and some- 

 what gelatinous body, such as is often found in the bot 

 toms of empty wine-bottles. This slimy mass is no 

 other than the famous vinegar-plant, which a few years 



