386 Miscellaneous. 
Fungi (of the genus Aspergillus) upon the tympanic membrane of 
ten persons, four of whom were attacked on both sides. Having 
been able several times to watch and study the development of these 
parasites from their first appearance to their final extinction, I can 
assert that this parasitic vegetation existed independently of any 
other disease, and constituted a peculiar and very obstinate affection 
of the ear, accompanied with great derangement of functions and 
much suffering. 
The two species of auricular fungi found by me presented all the 
principal botanical characters of Aspergillus glaucus (Link), but 
differed therefrom in the coloration of their organs of fructification, 
which leads me to name one of them A. flavescens and the other 
A, nigricans. 
We may ascertain, not only with the microscope, but even with the 
naked eye, the existence of a parasitic pseudomembrane in the ear, 
and decide beforehand whether it is produced by a vegetation of 
A. flavescens or of A. nigricans. In both cases the parasitic mem- 
brane, when extracted entire, bears the very recognizable impression 
of the tympanic membrane, and consists of an interlaced, lardaceous, 
white and shining tissue, easily torn and dispersed, covered in several 
parts with brownish-yellow (4. flavescens) or perfectly black (4. 
nigricans) spots (spores). These agglomerations of spores often 
form upon the white surface applied to the tympanic membrane an 
annular black space of 1-2 millims. in breadth, corresponding to the 
periphery of the tympanum. In general the arrangement of the 
layers in each parasitic pseudomembrane proves that the parasite 
grows from without inwards ; that is to say, it tends to bury itself in 
the tissue of the tympanic membrane. 
A. nigricans, of which the organs of fructification have exactly the 
same black colour as those of A. nigrescens, discovered by C. Robin, 
on the 19th February 1848, in the aériferous sacs of a pheasant, must 
not be confounded with that species, because the receptacular fila- 
ments of 4. nigrescens are formed by long cells articulated end to 
end, and presenting at their point of contact a distinct constriction : 
moreover the circlet of basal cells round the capitula is not complete 
as in A. nigricans. 
A. flavescens closely approaches the fungus of the lungs, dis- 
covered by Virchow, and described by Fresenius from specimens re- 
ceived from Virchow as a distinct species, which he names A. 
Jumigatus, and identifies with the fungus. found by him in the 
bronchi of an Otis tarda in the Frankfort Zoological Garden. 
But the descriptions and drawings of Fresenius and Virchow, and 
especially the microscopic preparation which had been sent to Fre- 
senius and declared by him to be A. fumigatus, shown to me by 
Professor Schenk at Wurzburg, make me perfectly sure that my 
A. flavescens is clearly distinguished from 4. fumigatus, which, 
moreover, has greenish-brown spores. 
To ascertain positively whether 4. flavescens and nigricans are - 
really new species of Aspergillus, or whether they only represent new 
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