PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 473 



Mr. Wilson understood that the sections of the rock were ground 

 down in the usual way ; and, this being done, the calcite was dissolved 

 out, so as to leave the section of the diatom free. 



Messrs. Malcolm Morris and G. C. Henderson's paper, " On the 

 Life-history of the Eingworm Fungus," was read by the Secretary, 

 photomicrographs in illustration being handed round for examination 

 {supra, p. 329). 



The Chairman was sure that all would agree that this paper was 

 one of considerable interest, as indeed was always the case whenever 

 a disease could be traced to its source. It had, however, yet to be 

 seen whether this was a variety of some known species of Penicillium, 

 or whether it was some specific form ; but whichever it might prove to 

 be, it was very satisfactory to find that it had been so clearly traced as 

 the producer of the ringworm disease. 



Dr. Maddox said it had given him much pleasure to follow up all 

 these experiments independently, and he could say that he had con- 

 firmed them all. It was very curious and interesting to watch the 

 growth of these forms, which he could be sure that he had never seen 

 figured anywhere before. He had not ventured to try the incubating 

 process, but found that the growth took place at the ordinary tem- 

 perature of a room, only under these conditions it went on more 

 slowly. He thought they might take it as being really proved that 

 this fungus was the cause of the disease, but whether or not it was a 

 distinct form he was unable to say. The bearing of a subject of this 

 kind upon the apparatus which he had exhibited was obvious : it 

 might readily be used in a large schoolroom where ringworm was 

 prevalent, and, by catching the germs, might prove that they were 

 carried about in the air from child to child. 



Mr. Morris, in reply to an invitation from the Chairman, said he 

 merely wished to point out that aU previous observers who had used 

 fluid had met with the difficulty that other germs and fungi got 

 mingled with it. What was claimed for their procedure was that in 

 using gelatine-peptone the growth went on in the substance of the 

 jelly, so that it was quite possible to mark down a particular spore 

 and watch it from day to day. They had noted that the fructification 

 did not take place until the jelly had dried down to a certain degree. 

 The fungus might possibly be a variety of Penicillium, but they had 

 tried to produce the thing backwards with Penicillium and had failed, 

 as all previous observers had done. It had been believed that this 

 fungus belonged to a separate group, and that it was a Mucor. 



Mr. C. Gr. Matthews' s paper, " On the Eed Mould of Barley," 

 was read by Mr. Cowan, the subject being illustrated by numerous 

 diagrams {supra, p. 321). 



Mr. Bennett thought the paper was an extremely interesting one. 

 He remembered that there was a notice about two years ago in the 

 Bulletin of the French Botanical Society on red grains of corn : he 

 believed wheat was referred to. The cause of the red colour was in 



