316 MORPHOLOGY OF THE ASPERGILLACE^. 



injury in the cocoon disease of silkworms, but does not play any 

 other industrial role, though sometimes found as a subordinate 

 fungus on mouldy cotton-seed meal. In the literature it is often, 

 but erroneously, classed as A. Jlavescens, Wred., a species which 

 should be struck out as merely synonymous ; and, in view of the 

 lack of perithecia, de Bary's name, Eurotium A. Jlavus, is also 

 inappropriate. The A. subfuscus, JOHAN-OLSEN (III.), still 

 encountered in the literature, is probably only A. Jlavus. 



Aspergilhis fumigatus, Fresenius, a cosmopolitan green to 

 greyish green (not yellow-green) species, characterised by a high 



optimum tempera- 

 ture (about 40 C.) 

 and rapid growth, 

 is chiefly of medi- 

 cal interest (patho- 

 genic), but occa- 

 sionally acts 

 injuriously in in- 

 dustrial processes 

 carried on at high 

 temperatures, such 

 as certain fermen- 

 tations (e.g., lactic 

 fermentation). Ac- 

 cording to Behrens, 

 it occurs on the 

 ribs of fermenting 

 tobacco leaves (see 

 vol. i. p. 167); and 

 on one occasion 

 Wehmer (I.) also 

 found it, in the 

 form of large 

 patches, on woollen 

 fabrics. It likewise 

 attacks vegetables 



FIG. 171. Aspergillus fumigatus. 

 1-2. Club-shaped conidiophores (in optical section at i). 



3. Conidia. 4. Ascus and ascospores. 5. Hyphte (W) (decaying potatoes, 



with peculiar globular swellings, and couidiophores, from bread, malt, beer 

 herbage. Approx. magn. of i, 2, 5, 140 ; of 3, icoo ; t t> \ t u 



of 40, 70 ; of 46, 719 ; of 4C and 4 rf, 2250. (40-0! qfter . U ' 



Grijns, the rest after Wehmer.) incubator ; and, ac- 



cording to F. COHN 

 (XIV.), it also produces a thermogenic effect (see vol. i. p. 151). Of 

 greater importance is its frequent occurrence in the body cavities of 

 men and animals (e.g., the human ear and the lungs of various 

 birds), where it produces otomycosis and pneumomycosis, which 

 latter malady, according to REN ON (I.), is almost invariably found 

 among workers in certain trades, such as pigeon-fatten ers and hair- 

 combers (in Paris). Conidia introduced into the arterial circula- 



