382 Growth of Vegetables in the Living Bodies of Animals. Vol, VI. 



Growth of Vegetables in the Living 

 Bodies of Animals. 



Animals, as well as plants, are liable to 

 the growth of fungi within their bodies. 

 There is a species of wasp in the West In- 

 dies, of which individuals are often seen fly- 

 ing about with plants, of their own length, 

 projecting from some part of their surface; 

 the germs of these having been originally in- 

 troduced through the breathing pores at their 

 sides, which greatly resemble those of plants, 

 and taking root, as it were, in their substance, 

 so as to develope a luxuriant vegetation. In 

 time, the fungous growth spreads through the 

 body and destroys the life of the insect, when 

 it grows more rapidly, the decomposing tis- 

 sue of the dead body being still more adapted 

 than the living structure, to atibrd it nutri- 

 ment. A very curious example of the growth 

 of fungi within the living animal body has 

 lately been detected, and the knowledge of it 

 has proved of great importance. The silk- 

 worm breeders of Italy and the south of 

 France, especially in particular districts, have 

 been subject to a considerable loss by a disease 

 termed muscardine, which sometimes attacks 

 the worms in large numbers just when they 

 are about to enter the chrysalis state. This 

 disease has been ascertained to be due to the 

 growth of a minute vegetable of the fungus 

 tribe — nearly resembling the common mould, 

 within their bodies ; and it is capable of being 

 communicated to any individual from one al- 

 ready affected, by the introduction beneath 

 the skin of the former, of some particles of 

 the diseased portion of the latter ; and it 

 then spreads in the fatty mass beneath the 

 skin, occasioning the destruction of this tis- 

 sue, which is very important as a reservoir 

 of nourishment to the animal when about to 

 pass into a state of complete inactivity. The 

 plant spreads by the extension of its own 

 structure, and also by the production of mi- 

 nute germs, which are taken up by the cir- 

 culating blood and carried to distant parts of 

 the body : the disease invariably occasions 

 the death of the silk-worm, but does not 

 show itself externally until afterwards, when 

 it rapidly shoots forth from beneath the skin. 

 The caterpillar, chrysalis, and moth are all 

 susceptible of having this disease communi- 

 cated to them by the kind of inoculation 

 just described, but it is only the first which 

 usually receives it spontaneously. The im- 

 portance of this disease to the breeders of 

 silk-worms led, as soon as its true nature was 

 understood, to careful enquiry into the cir- 

 cumstances which favour the production of 

 the fungus ; and it has been shown, that if 

 the bodies of the caterpillars which, from 

 various causes, have died during breeding, 

 be thrown together in heaps and exposed to 



the influence of a warm and moist atmosphere, 

 this fungus almost invariably appears upon 

 them, just as other kinds of mould appear 

 upon other decaying substances; and it is 

 then prop;igated to the living worms by the 

 diffusion of its germs through the atmosphere. 

 The knowledge of this fact, and the precau- 

 tions taken in consequence, have greatly 

 diminished the mortality. — Veg. Phy. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 A Country Cow. 



Esteemed Friend, — As I know it will be 

 interesting to you, and I believe to many of 

 your readers, I send you an account of the 

 butter obtained from a cow — which you will 

 remember to have seen when last I had the 

 pleasure to see you at Allerton, — known as 

 the " M'Elroy Cow," and which, consider- 

 ing that she had only the common feed of the 

 rest of the dairy, is, I think, to be considered 

 rather extraordinary. This cow is well 

 known in this vicinity as the " M'Elroy 

 Cow," from the name of her former possessor, 

 who was a tenant on the farm of Samuel 

 Worth, of whom I purchased her for sixty 

 dollars, and who assured me she had, with 

 additional feed, made sixteen pounds of butter 

 for several successive weeks; the capacity 

 of her udder being oftentimes so great as al- 

 most to deprive her of the means of rising, 

 when lying down. She is said to be nearly 

 related to the Guernsey breed, which, if dai- 

 ry properties alone are regarded, without 

 reference to shape, size, and feeding, stand 

 probably unrivalled. These cows, from their 

 being small, and occupying little room, are 

 often brought over by vessels from Europe as 

 ship-cows, for the use of the passengers, 

 being selected on account of their superior 

 yield of milk in proportion to food consumed; 

 and it is, therefore, more than probable that 

 the " M'Elroy Cow" is descended from such 

 importation, for she is as homely an animal 

 in these and some other respects as can well 

 be conceived. 



I have succeeded in obtaining from her 

 two heifer calves, which fell on the 1st day 

 of April, 1841 and '2, respectively ; these are 

 sired by "His Grace," my imported Durham 

 bull, and give fair promise of proving them- 

 selves worthy their claim to noble blood. The 

 amount of butter made in one week is within 

 two ounces of fourteen pounds, the milk aver- 

 aging about thirty quarts per day; the yield 

 of butter being only one and a half pounds 

 short of that of my imported Durham-cow 

 Bessie; and I have reason to believe that 

 with moderate feed, in addition to pasture, 

 the two cows would make from thirty-one to 

 thirty-two pounds of butter per week. 



Allerton, June a, 1842. PaSCHALI. MoRRIS. 



