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



fected, it is conceived that the foregoing remarks have demonstrated that this 

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

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

 in form, colour, chemical composition and properties. 



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 the 

 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 paleee 

 have opened to admit the fluid. 



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

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

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

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

 grain constitutes the pericarpial covering. 



Secale cereale. Triticum repens. Festuca pratensis. 

 Elymus sabulosus. Dactylis glomerata. Melica nutans. 

 Hordeum pratense. Lolium perenne. Alopecurus pratensis. 

 — murinum. Arundo phragmites. 



Phoebus gives a more extensive list than the above, amongst which he enumerates several kinds of 

 wheat, barley and oats 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. Leveill^ also states 

 (p. 570, op, cit.), " M. Simonnet s'en est assurd par une experience tres-simple, qui consiste si percer 

 avec une epingle la partie inf^rieure de chaque fleur qui contient ce sue. Constamment cet ob- 

 servateur a vu I'ergot s'y ddvelopper." 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 these grains not moistened by any viscid 

 juice. 



Mr. Bauer (Penny Mag. 1833, p. 126 and 182,) has shown from interesting and delicate experi- 

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

 ing them with the sporules of the fungus producing such effects, viz. Uredo fa:tida and segetum; and 

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

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

 the Ergot. 



