272 MR. J. B. DANCER ON THE SOLID PARTICLES 



creased, and the delicate mycelial thread-like roots had 

 completely entangled the fibrous objects contained in the 

 bottle and formed them into a mass. 



On the third day a number of ciliated zoospores were 

 observed moving freely amongst the sporidia. I could 

 not detect any great variety of fungi in the contents of 

 the bottle ; but I cannot presume to say that all the visible 

 spores belonged to one species ; and as there are more than 

 2000 different kinds of fungi, it is possible that spores of 

 other species might be present, but not under conditions 

 favourable for their development. Some very pretty 

 chain-like threads of conidia were visible in some of the 

 examinations. 



The next in quantity is vegetable tissue. Some of this 

 formed a very interesting object, with a high power, and 

 the greater portion exhibited what is called pitted struc- 

 ture. The larger particles of this had evidently been par- 

 tially burnt and quite brown in colour, and were from 

 coniferous plants, showing with great distinctness the 

 broad marginal bands surrounding the pits; others had 

 reticulations small in diameter. They reminded me of 

 perforated particles so abundant in some kinds of coal. 



The brown or charred objects were probably particles of 

 partially burnt wood used in lighting fires. 



Along with these reticulated objects were fragments of 

 vegetation, resembling in structure hay and straw and 

 hay seeds, and some extremely thin and transparent tissue 

 showing no structure. These were doubtless some portions 

 of weather-worn vegetation. A few hairs of leaves of 

 plants, and fibres similar in appearance to flax, were seen ; 

 and, as might have been expected in this city, cotton fila- 

 ments, some white, others coloured, were numerous — red 

 and blue being the predominant colours. A few granules of 

 starch were seen by the aid of the polariscope ; and several 

 long elliptical bodies, similar to the pollen of the lily, were 



