466 Mr. E, J. Quekett on the Ergot of Rye, 



connexion, at this period, with the receptacle than the grain itself pos- 

 sesses. 



Philippar's examination of the internal structure appears to have strength- 

 ened his view of its being a fungus ; for he describes the body of the ergot to 

 be composed internally of branched short fibres and globules of various sizes, 

 round and oval, which he believes to be the means of its reproduction. My 

 own observations on the internal structure differ somewhat from this, by 

 proving that the fibres described are the boundaries of irregularly-sized cells, 

 and not fibres at all ; and the globules are not reproductive bodies, but for the 

 most part those of a fatty oil and some other granular matters, which are con- 

 tained in the interior of the cells, as seen in Tab. XXXIII. B. fig. 1., which is 

 a transverse slice magnified six hundred times. In truth I have never seen 

 sporidia in the interior of the ergot, if care be taken to exclude those on the 

 exterior. 



To witness these facts, take an ergot of rye, scrape away all its black coat, 

 so as to remove all the sporidia which adhere to its surface ; then make some 

 very thin transverse slices, and let them be put on a slip of glass under the 

 microscope ; when water is added to them it speedily becomes turbid or milky, 

 on account of the numerous particles that have escaped from the cells : these 

 particles, however, are not heavier than the water, as the sporidia are, but are 

 lighter, and collect on the surface, from whence they can be removed, like 

 cream from the surface of milk. When magnified, they are found to be of 

 very many sizes, some as large as the thousandth of an inch in diameter, and 

 others so small as to be scarcely visible by the highest magnifying powers ; 

 when magnified about six hundred times their appearance very much resem- 

 bles the globules seen in human milk. When the matter containing the fatty 

 particles is heated, these minute globules liquefy, running together and form- 

 ing either very large globules or numerous irregular masses, their primary form 

 by this operation being completely disturbed, which would not have been the 

 case had they been " s6minules" or reproductive agents, as Philippar describes. 

 To observe the structure of the cells, let some thin slices be made, and boil 

 them in ether, which dissolves the fatty matter, and renders them transparent, 

 so that the irregular cells can be readily examined, and by adding water after- 

 wards to the ether a pellicle of fatty matter can be seen floating on the liquid. 



