56 Linncsan Society. 



its parent, and then separates from it. Often several sporidia so ge- 

 nerated, remain united to each other for a short time, forming a mo- 

 niliform filament, composed frequently of seven or eight joints. 



The next and last method is the most perfect when it is found 

 that the sporidia have their cavity divided by a septum, which is- 

 formed by a green granule of the interior extending itself laterally ; 

 each half of each sporidium being again subdivided, and by endless 

 repetitions of this process a radiated plant is produced, which, when 

 arrived at a certain size and age, bears upon its branchlets sporidia 

 similar to that one from which it was first produced. 



From these observations, it is proved that the sporidia, found on the 

 surface of the diseased grain can germinate and ultimately develope 

 the means of their reproduction, without forming any body analo- 

 gous in shape or structure to an ergot, which fact is conclusive that 

 the filaments and sporidia are no part of that body, because they are 

 found to flourish unconnected with it, and even grow on many parts 

 of the same grass, as seen in the anthers by Mr, Smith, of Kew Gar- 

 dens, and observed by Mr. Queckett on the palese, glumes and ra- 

 chis ; therefore the ergot, Mr. Queckett conceives, originates by the 

 grain of the respective grass becoming diseased, from the presence of 

 a parasite, which occasions such alteration in its developement as to 

 cause it to assume the well-known form, and to possess also the sin- 

 gular properties manifested in that of rye. 



If the ergot be sliced into thin transverse sections, and these ex- 

 amined with a very high magnifying power, it will be seen that nu- 

 merous particles escape from them when they are placed in water. 

 These have been taken by Philij^par for sporidia, from which cir- 

 cumstance he considered the ergot as the reproductive apparatus 

 of a fungus ; but such particles are only those of a fatty oil, which 

 escape from the divided cells, and collect on the surface of the water, 

 in which the sections are immersed, and differ from the sporidia of 

 the exterior by floating on the surface, whilst the latter always sub- 

 side to the bottom of the vessel containing the water. The appli- 

 cation of heat to these supposed sporidia fuses them into irregular 

 masses of diff'erent sizes, and ether or turpentine, if allowed to eva- 

 porate after being added to them, leaves similar appearances. 



The internal structure of the ergot looks extremely irregular, there 

 being no equally formed cells, but a confused jumble, out of which 

 can scarcely be traced the true cells, on account of their boundaries 

 being exceedingly sinuous, which structure is very like the centre 

 of the fungus produced during the germination of the sporidia, and 

 appears to be occasioned by fungoid matter having grown in the in- 

 terior of the grain. 



