186 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES FUNGI 



in the ground to undergo its metamorphosis, where it is attacked 

 by a fungus called Sjplia^ria Eobertsii, which rises in the form of 

 a simple spike about 6 inches in height, from the 'head of the 

 caterpillar, the body of which becomes a dry mummy ; a second 

 species, >S'. Gunnii, is found in Tasmania, but it differs from the 

 preceding in being branched ; and a third species, ^S'. sinensis, is 

 found growing on caterpillars in a similar manner in China, and 

 is held in high estimation as a medicine, said to possess the 

 properties of ginseng. Another species has lately (1879) been 

 discovered in Ceylon growing on a white grub ; it rises 2 to 3 

 inches above the ground; its upper part, which contains the spore- 

 cases, is thickened and of a red colour ; it is said to be a new 

 species of the genus Torruhia. In the West Indies wasps are 

 affected with a species of Sphceria, which grows on the head 

 like two horns ; the spores impregnate them when alive, and the 

 fungus grows to a considerable size before the wasp dies. It is 

 generally understood that fungi do not grow in water, but it is 

 nevertheless now considered that the flocky matter that grows 

 on and destroys gold-fish and salmon is a fungus, Saprolegnia 

 ferox. Within the last twenty years great loss has been sus- 

 tained by the silk cultivators of Europe, consequent on the 

 silkworm being attacked by a microscopic mould fungus, allied 

 to the salmon fungus, known by the name of Botrytus hassiana, 

 by some supposed to be a changed form of the Alga Achyla 

 prolifera. The thready mycelium covers and perforates 

 the body of the caterpillar, which becomes mummified. This 

 disease has become endemic to the silk-producing countries of 

 Europe, which has rendered it necessary to procure fresh eggs 

 annually from Japan and other countries not yet affected by the 

 disease. In the autumn the common house-fly may be seen dead 

 and adhering to the mndow pane, the glass surrounding the 

 body being dim ; on examining the fly \\A\h a lens it will be 

 found to be involved with white flocky matter, the mycelium of 

 a mould fungus, the germ-spores of which had been taken up 

 by the fly in some kind of food. 



It is said that a blue-bottle fly might carry about " sufficient 



