218 FUNGI. 



her to have seen before or since; the clothes of a person 

 walking through the rusty field soon became orange-coloured 

 from the abundance of spores. Graziers on this point again 

 seem to be generally agreed, that they do not think " red rust " 

 has been proved to be injurious to cattle. The direct influence 

 of fungi on quadrupeds, birds, reptilia, &e., seems to be in- 

 finitesimally small. 



Insects of various orders have been observed from time to 

 time to become the prey of fungi.* That known at Guadaloupo 

 under the name of La Guepe Verjetale, or vegetable wasp, has 

 been often cited as evidence that, in some instances at least, 

 the fungus attacks the insect whilst still living. Dr. Madianna 

 states that he has noticed the wasp still living with its in- 

 cumbrance attached to it, though apparently inthe last stage of 

 existence, and seeming about to perish from the influence of its 

 destructive parasite.f This fungus is called by Tulasne Torrubia 

 sphecocepliala. 1 ^ About twenty-five species of this genus of 

 sphtBriaceous fungi have been described as parasitic on insects. 

 Five species are recorded in South Carolina, one in Penn- 

 sylvania, found on the larvce of the May -bug, and one other 

 North American species on Nocturnal Lepidoptera, one in 

 Cayenne, one in Brazil, on the larva of a Cicada, and one on a 

 species of ant, two in the West Indies, one in New Guinea on 

 a species of Coccus, and one on a species of Vespa in Senegal. 

 In Australia two species have been recorded, and two are natives 

 of New Zealand. Dr. Hooker found two in the Khassya moun- 

 tains of India, and one American species has also been found 

 at Darjeeling. It has long been known that one species, which 

 has a medicinal repute there, is found in China, whilst three 

 have been recorded in Great Britain. Opinions are divided as 

 to whether in these instances the fungus causes or is subsequent 

 to the death of the insect. It is generally the belief of ento- 

 mologists that the death of the insect is caused by the fungus. 



* Gray, G., " Notices of Insects that are Known to Form the Bases of FungoiJ 

 Parasites." London, 1858. 



t Halsey, "Ann. Lyceum," New York, 1824, p. 125. 

 Talasne, "Selecta Fuug. Carp." vol. iii. p. 17. 



