POLYMORPHISM, 205 
has substituted that of Torrubia.* These curious fungi partake 
more or less of a clavate form, and are parasitic on insects. 
The pupe of moths are sometimes sccn bearing upon them the 
white branched mould, something like a Clavaria in appearance, 
to which the name of Jsaria farinosa has been given. According 
to Tulasne, this is the conidia form of the bright scarlet, club- 
shaped body which is also found on dead pupa, called Torrubia 
militaris, An American mould of the same genus, Isaria 
sphingum, found on mature moths, is in like manner declared to 
be the conidia of Zor: ubia sphingum; whercas a similar mould, 
found on dead spiders, called Lsaria arachnophila,t is probably 
of asimilar nature. An allied kind of compact mould, which 
is parasitic on Cocct, on the bark of trees, recently found in 
England by Mr. C. E. Broome, and named Microcera coccophila,§ 
is said by Tulasne to be a condition of Spherostilbe, and it is 
intimated that other productions of a similar character bear 
like relations to other sphceriaceous fungi. For many species 
of Zorrubia no corresponding conidia are yet known. 
Some instances might be noted, not without interest, in 
which the facts of dimorphism or polymorphism have not been 
satisfactorily proved, but final judgment is held in suspense 
until suspicion is replaced by conviction. Some years since, a 
quantity of dead box leaves were collected, on which flourished at 
the time a mould named Penicillium roseum. This mould has a 
roseate tint, and occurs in patches on the dead leaves lying upon 
the ground; the threads are erect and branched above, bearing 
chains of oblong, somewhat spindle-shaped spores, or, perhaps 
more accurately, conidia. When collected, these leaves were 
examined, and nothing was observed or noted upon them except 
this Penicillium. After some time, certainly between two and 
three years, during which period the box remained undisturbed, 
circumstances led to the examination again of one or two of the 
leaves, and afterwards of the greater number of them, when the 
* Tulasne, ‘‘ Selecta Fungorum Carpologia,” iii. p. 6, pl. i, ‘aes, 19-31, 
+ Cramer’s ‘‘ Papilio Exotic ” (1782), fig. 267. 
+ Cooke, ‘‘ Handbook,” p. 548, No, 1639. 
§ Ibid. p. 556, No. 1666. 
