Miscellanies. 195 



the latter transformation, the conclusion seems irresistible, that the es- 

 cape of all the materials in the state of gas, while silicon, if produced, 

 would necessarily have remained in the fixed and solid form, proves, 

 as far as a negative is capable of being proved, the incorrectness of 

 that gentleman's experiments. Respectfully yours, Clark Hare. 

 Pliiladelpiiia, Sept. 12, 1841. 



2. Curious Microscopic Fungus., Craterium pyriforme. 



To B. SiLLiMAN, Jr. : Dear Sir — Specimens of this beautiful micro- 

 scopic fungus, which were gathered on Clapham Common, England, 

 by Dr. Mantell, in August, were received by me in a living state on the 

 13th of November. In the letter accompanying them. Dr. M. rennarks : 

 " I send you a pebble or two of flint, to which is adhering that exquisite 

 microscopic fungus, the Craterium pyi'iforme, which is as white as 

 snow, and upon being punctured gives out a bright scarlet fluid. I have 

 had pebbles on my mantlepiece for months, and yet the vegetable was 

 alive and hied as usual. I therefore hope a voyage across the Atlantic 

 wilk||3t destroy them, and that you will be able to see the phenomenon, 

 which to those who have not seen it before is most striking. But prob- 

 ably you have the species in your own country." 



The specimens received were still alive, and exhibited the bleeding 

 very beautifully. 



These specimens havSng made me acquainted with the form and 

 mode of growth of this interesting plant, I was led to seek for it 

 on our own rocks, and on the very first stone which I examined, 

 and which I picked up within a hundred yards of my house at West 

 Point, I found it growing abundantly. Further search showed that it 

 is very frequent on the loose fragments of primitive rocks in this vicin- 

 ity. To the naked eye it appears like snow-white specks, not more 

 than one fourth the size of a pin's head ; when magnified it appears 

 like a little cup, with a cover beautifully marked with radiating lines. 

 On being punctured, it emits a blood-red liquid filled with sporules. It 

 grows most abundantly in small crevices in hard siliceous stones. I do 

 not find this species mentioned in Schweinitz's Catalogue of Americaia 

 Fungi, J. W. Bailey. ' 



West Point, November 15, 1841. 



3. Yellov) Shoioers of Pollen. — In Vol. xxxix, page 399, of this 

 Journal, we gave an account of a yellow substance fallen at Troy, 

 N. Y., and then conjectured to be the sporules of Lycopodium. Sub- 

 sequently, our correspondent, W. G. of Otisco, N. Y., sent us a note, 

 suggesting that such showers of yellow matter were due to the pollen 

 of the forest trees, and that they were more frequently observed after 

 thunder gusts than at other times, because the pollen shaken from the 



