3 i4 MORPHOLOGY OF THE ASPERGILLAOE^E. 



can be made to branch abundantly by restricting the food-supply 

 or adding antiseptics. 



In point of substratum this industrial and domestic fungus is 

 selective, since it does not thrive on (e.g.) liquid saccharine media 

 with mineral salts and inorganic nitrogenous food, whereas black 

 bread or as a good bacteriological substratum wort gelatin, is 

 favourable. The fungus also prefers moderate temperatures (it 

 will grow at 8-io C.) and ceases to develop at blood temperature, 

 consequently its alleged occasional appearance in the human ear 

 recently mentioned again by HATCH and Row (I.) is probably a 

 mistake arising from the species having been confused with A. 

 fumigatus or A.flavus. NOMURA (I.) states that it is associated 

 with A.flavus in the cocoon fungus (" Uchibaki") which does so 

 much damage to the silk industry, and was first attributed to 

 Aspergillus species by RAUX (I.). It is certainly a chief source 

 of mould in black bread, and is stated by J. BEHRENS (III.) to be 

 a frequent, injurious dweller in " shed-ripe " tobacco and cigars 

 (see vol. i, p. 167), as well as in hops. According to SPIECKER- 

 MANN and BREMER (I.) it is the cause of mould in cotton -seed 

 meal ; and perhaps it is among the still undescribed species of 

 Aspergillus that damage leather. ADERHOLD (IV.) found it in 

 acid gherkin pickle ; and it thrives on smoked meats (ham), pre- 

 ferring very dry substrata. Whether, in certain cases, it is 

 actually pathological toward plants and takes part in the 

 blackening and spoiling of chestnuts, as was stated by KOZE (I.), 

 still remains to be fully investigated Occasionally it is found on 

 the kernels of walnuts and hazel-nuts still in the shell, an abun- 

 dance of perithecia being produced. The limits of temperature 

 for this species are 7-37 C., the optimum being 2j-2g 0. 

 according to KLEBS (I.), though others give the optimum at 20- 

 25 and the maximum as 30 0. (Elfving, Siebenmann}. More 

 complete morphological data are furnished in the works of A. DE 

 BARY (IX.), WILHELM (I.), SIEBENMANN (I.), R. MEISSNER (I.), and 

 WEHMER (XVII.). 



The fungi termed Eurotium repens, de Bary, and E, Aspergillus 

 medius, Meissner (I.), are presumably the same as A. glaucus, since 

 there are no tangible differences between them exceeding the 

 usual limits pf variation. It is, nevertheless, highly desirable 

 that this doubtful point should be finally settled by careful 

 investigation. Whether the Eurotium rubrum, SPIECKERMANN 

 and BREMER (I.), found in mouldy cotton-seed meal is a different 

 species also seems questionable, and requires elucidation. 



Aspergillus flavus, Link, greatly resembles A. oryzcR in the 

 yellowish green superficial colour of the herbage, and also in the 

 shape of the conidiophores ; but is readily distinguishable by the 

 smaller dimensions of the latter (less than i mm. high). This 

 species, which has been identified as pathogenic in animals, has a 

 preference for warmth, the optimum temperature being about 



