458 Mr. E. J. QuEKETT on the Ergot of Rye, 



viewed as a transparent object with a low magnifying power, exhibits a gra- 

 nular centre surrounded by a purplish border : the longitudinal section shows 

 the same granular appearance along its middle part, bounded also on either 

 side by the purple border. There is now something deceptive about these 

 objects if immersed in water, there being then observed issuing from them 

 myriads of minute particles resembling sporidia, which completely fill the field 

 of view. These however are not sporidia, but particles of an oily nature, 

 together with certain other granules the cells contain (analogous to those 

 found in the healthy grain with the fecula), which now float out from the di- 

 vided cells, and may be readily taken, as they were by Philippar, for sporidia, 

 if the magnifying power be not sufficiently distinct and powerful. 



As the ergot approaches maturity its colour becomes dark purple*, and its 

 surface generally presents many cracks and fissures : its shape at this time is 

 subject to much variation, being generally elongated and tapering away at 

 each end, sometimes occurring quite straight, at others slightly or very much 

 curved, there being besides these many other forms of length and thickness 

 constantly observed ; its section transversely is more or less triangular, and 

 presents a furrow on one or both sides, especially in the rye, though these are 

 not discoverable in the ergots of all grasses. 



When the ergot has arrived at its perfect development, it still retains in 

 those specimens that have not been exposed to injury the appendage at its 

 apex, a iew hairs surrounding the remains of the stigmas, and likewise the 

 two scales at its base, which appear but very little changed, and its surface 

 has now become almost deprived of sporidia. 



It appears from the examination of the healthy grains of rye that the ergot 

 corresponds to the seed without its pericarpial covering ; for it is found that 

 the grain of the rye has two distinct layers for its pericarp, the outer being 

 very thin and composed of elongated cells, whose longer axis is perpendicular, 

 and the inner of elongated cells also, but the longer axis is horizontal : within 

 these two layers is a line of some width, which is coloured of a reddish brown 

 tint and connected by its inner side to a layer of cells, which have somewhat 



* In several instances ergots have been found not of a violet black colour, l)ut of different lighter 

 shades, and even of the colour of the healthy grain, 



