468 ]Mr. E. J. QuEKETT on the Ergot of Ri/e, 



fected, it is conceived that the foregoing- remarks have demonstrated that tliis 

 body is produced by a particular species of fungus, which develops itself 

 when it occupies the grain (wliilst young), causing its remarkable alteration 

 in form, colour, chemical composition and ])roperties. 



The manner in which this singular production probably originates (for at 

 present much respecting this part remains uncertain) is, that the sporidia, or 

 more likely the nuclei within them, are by some means introduced into tlie 

 interior of the grass* and ultimately arrive at the grain, which they find 

 the most suitable matrix for their development ; or they may be brought into 

 contact with the young grain from without, probably by the viscid fluid, but 

 this is less likely to be the case, as the ergot can be detected before the palete 

 have opened to admit the fluid. 



When, however, they have been brought into contact with it, tiiey lose no 

 time in the work of reproduction, finding their way to the exterior, cover- 

 ing its body witli multitudes of sporidia, and communicating disease to the 

 healthy tissue, and thereby destroying so much of the coats as in the perfect 

 grain constitutes tlie pericarpial covering. 



Secale cereale. Triticum repens. Festuca pratensis. 

 Elymus sabulosus. Dactylis glomerata. Melica nutans. 

 Horileum pratense. Lolium perenne. Alopecurus pratensis. 

 murinum. Arundo phragmites. 



Phœbus gives a more extensive list tlian tlie above, amongst which he enumerates several kinds of 

 wheat, barley and outs similarly diseased, together with some Cyperaceous plants. 



* It is stated by Phoebus, and by Christison in his Treatise on Poisons, 2nd edit., that Wiggers had 

 produced ergots by infecting the healthy grains previously with the sporidia. Leveillé also states 

 (p. 570, op. cit.), "M. Simonnet s'en est assuré par une expérience très-simple, qui consiste à percer 

 avec une épingle la partie inférieure de chaque fleur qui contient ce suc. Constamment cet ob- 

 servateur a vu l'ergot s'y développer." This last experiment is not of much value, for it generally 

 happens that where the viscid juice exists there will be an ergot, whether a puncture has been made 

 or not : the experiment ought to have been performed on those grains not moistened by any viscid 

 juice. 



Mr. Bauer (Penny Mag. 1S3.3, p. l'i(j and 182,) has shown from interesting and delicate experi- 

 ments, that the " smut-bulls" on corn can be certainly produced by inoculating the seeds before sow- 

 ing them witli the sporules of the fungus producing such eftects, viz. Urcdo fatida and seyetiim ; and 

 this excellent observer has proved that these bodies are carried into the interior b)' the sap after being 

 absorbed by the roots, and it appears the most probable that the same takes place in the production of 

 the Ergot. 



