MYCELIA OF MOULDS. 149 



naturalists; and then to describe some that 

 were made by the author, in the spring of 1846. 

 It may be known that if the sap of certain 

 plants, as the vine for instance, be kept in glass 

 vessels, certain filaments will soon be seen float- 

 ing in it ; but few persons are apprised of the 

 fact, that these filaments are the mycelia of 

 moulds. If solutions are made of gum, isin- 

 glass, or glue, the same kind of filaments will 

 appear, and they also are the mycelia of moulds. 

 From these mycelia, or specimens of spawn, 

 there grow two species of moulds, one articu- 

 lated, corresponding with the simplest form 

 described in the first chapter, and the other 

 having the threads from which they spring 

 entirely destitute of articulations. The articu- 

 lated moulds look under the microscope like 

 strings of little pearls, and are therefore called 

 monilia, from monile, a necklace, because neck- 

 laces are frequently so constructed. The non- 

 articulated threads pass by the name of botry- 

 tides, because they produce botrytis fungi of 

 different kinds. Dutrochet, aware of these 

 peculiarities, instituted a set of ingenious ex- 

 periments with a view to determine the pro- 

 perties of liquids favourable to the development 

 of one or the other. He disclaims at the 



