72 Miscellaneous. 



the atmosphere by means of the gentlest zephyr, or even the eva- 

 poration continually taking place from the earth's surface ; and from 

 the numerous facts already presented of the presence of cryptogamic 

 vegetation in many cutaneous diseases and upon other diseased sur- 

 faces, I was led to reflect upon the possibility of plants of this de- 

 scription existing in healthy animals, as a natural condition ; or, at 

 least, apparently so, as in the case of entozoa. Upon considering 

 that the conditions essential to vegetable growth were the same as 

 those indispensable to animal life, I felt convinced that entophyta 

 would be found in healthy living animals, as well, and probably as fre- 

 quently, as entozoa. The constant presence of mycodermatoid fila- 

 ments growing upon the human teeth, the teeth of the ox, sheep, 

 pig, &c, favoured this idea, and accordingly I instituted a course of 

 investigations, which led to the discovery of several well-characterized 

 forms of vegetable growth, of which, at present, I will give but a short 

 description, for the purpose of establishing priority, and propose 

 giving a more detailed account of them, with figures, on some future 

 occasion! J ssibI ^to ^Jlr; 



Enterobi-us, a new genus of Confervacece. Simple, attached, iso- 

 lated filaments consisting of a long cylindrical cell, (containing pro- 

 toplasma, granules, and large translucent globules enveloped in a 

 primordial utricle,) with a distinct coriaceous peduncle or stipe of 

 attachment, and at length producing at the free extremity one or two, 

 rarely three, shorter cylindrical cells (filled with the same matter as 

 the parent cell). 



Enterobrus elegans. Filaments olive-brown, brownish yellowish, 

 or colourless, at first forming a single spiral turn, and then passing in 

 a straight or gently curved line to the free extremity. Peduncle, or 

 stipe of attachment, adhering very firmly, coriaceous, uniformly 

 brownish, narrower than the frond-cell, papillary, columnar, elon- 

 gated conical or pyramidal, expanded at base and at point of attach- 

 ment to frond-cell, marked with longitudinal lines, and frequently 

 with transverse annular constrictions, with no definite interior struc- 

 1 1 ire . Length from 1 -3 750th to 1 -400th of an inch ; breadth 1 -3200th 

 to 1-1 666th. Frond-cell much elongated, frequently reaching the 

 length of 2 or 3 lines, uniformly cylindrical, excepting at free extre- 

 mity, where it is usually clavate ; breadth in full-grown individuals 

 pretty uniformly 1 -935th of an inch. Contents consisting of a 

 colourless protoplasma, with more or less numerous, fine, translucent, 

 yellowish or colourless granules, measuring about 1-1 5,000th of an 

 inch, and numerous large, colourless, transparent globules or vesicles 

 filled with fluid, averaging the 1-28 70th of an inch in diameter. End- 

 cells only existing in full-grown individuals, one, usually two, rarely 

 three in number ; the first one cylindrical, l-86th of an inch in length 

 by 1-1 000th in breadth, filled with more granules and less globules 

 than the parent cell ; end-cell clavate, 1-1 35th of an inch long by 

 1 -750th broad, at the clavate end 1 -638th, filled with granular matter 

 and a few globules. 



Length of full-grown individual 2 to 3, sometimes 4 lines. 



Hab. Grows from the basement membrane of the mucous mem- 



