PALMELLACEZ, 9) 
Size, Cells 006-0095 mm. (Rabdk.). 
Rab. Alg. iii. 27. 
“The chignon fungus.” Dy. Tilbury Fox, in “ Science 
Gossip,” May 1, 1867. 
On human hair used as “ chignons.” 
This organism, which is included by Rabenhorst amongst Algae under 
the above name, is rather a doubtful production, at least it seems to be 
a doubtful alga. The late Dr. Tilbury Fox examined it carefully in 
1867 with the following results :— 
“Tf you take a hair on which the parasite exists, and hold it between 
yourself and the light, towards the outer half you will see one or more, 
perhaps half-a-dozen, little dark knots, the size of pin points, surround- 
ing the shaft of the hair; they are readily felt on drawing the hair 
through the fingers; they are somewhai difficult to detach. Under the 
microscope, with a quarter-inch objective, the mass will be seen to be 
made up of cellular bodies surrounding the hair. It will be seen that 
the mass has the appearance of a fungus growth, of which two distinct 
forms are here present, viz., mycelial or filamentose, and sporular or 
cellular. The hair is apparently healthy, and if the slide be pressed the 
mass will break away from the hair on either side, bringing away with it 
more or less of the cuticle, and leaving behind a healthy shaft. The 
cells are seen to be of various shapes and sizes. They are from 1-4000 
to 1-3000 of aninch, many are like the ‘iorula’ cells developed from 
Penicilium. Others are larger, undergoing division very actively. They 
may be subdivided into two, three, or four parts, or much more freely. 
This indicates the assumption by the parasite of an algal condition. (It 
is this form to which the name Plewrococcus Beigelii manifestly applies.) 
“In watching the mass on the hair carefully, it is evident that-a 
number of small cells become detached from the outer or sporular form, 
and at once move actively about. These small cells indicate an active 
growth by subdivision, and a fruitful source of propagation. Certainly 
this variety of fungus, so far described, is the most active growth I have 
come across in my researches, and I have been enabled to germinate it 
most successfully, so as to set all questions as to its nature completely 
at rest. Placed under favourable circumstances in water, the spores 
enlarge considerably, and the mycelial filaments increase also, but there 
is at this time to be observed a very remarkable occurrence, though not 
in all cases. Some of the large cells have become filled with smaller 
cells, and in others, in addition to these, processes have been put forth 
from the circumference of the walls in a radiating manner; in other 
cases the enlarged cells have two long cilia attached to them, by which 
they move about rapidly, whilst a part of the hair previous to this free 
from the fungus, has become dotted all over by minute cells similar to 
those seen in the interior of the larger ones. 
“ But more than this, I have observed most distinctly large cells filled 
with smaller cells, furnished with exceedingly delicate radiating pro- 
cesses, and putting forth pseudopodia. It will here be seen to have 
assumed the features of an amzboid body. Nothing could have been 
more distinct to myself, and those who were observing with me, than 
this peculiar form ; and it seems to me that we have here a pretty com- 
plete history of the life of the fungus—namely, the sporular sub- 
dividing and assuming an algal form, which in turn becomes ameabi- 
form, and furnishes ciliated cells that supply the earliest condition of 
the fungus, scattered over the hair.” Further details, with illustrations 
are given inthe memoir, of which the above is an abstract, to which the 
student is referred. 
Plate I. f. 4. Cells magnified 400 diam. 
