PRESENCE OF A TRUE MANNA ON A BLUE GRASS, 291 
On THE PRESENCE or a TRUE MANNA on a “BLUE 
GRASS,” AYDROPOGON ANNULATUS, Forsx. 
By R. T. Baker, F.1.8., Assistant Curator and Botanist, 
Technological idasuit and Henry G. SmirHu, F.C.s., 
Chemist, Technological Museum. 
[With Plates XXI-XXII.] 
[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, December 2, 1896.] 
_ THE specimens, the sulject of this paper, were obtained at Wild’s 
/ 
Valley, Torren’s Creek, vid Townsville, Queensland, by Mr. J. R. 
Chisholm. They had, previous to our receiving them, been deter- 
mined as Spumaria alba, Bull.—a fungus found on grass in this 
Colony and figured in Cook’s Australian Fungi, Pl. 35, fig. 356, 
but as Mr. Chisholm was of opinion that they were galls, he 
asked if we would also examine them for him. Our first examin- 
ation showed that they were manna and nota fungus, as we found 
that they consisted of large quantities of crystals, as well as some 
Sugars. i 
A section of an individual mass showed the substance to be 
quite solid, with a cavity near its attachment to the grass, con- 
taining apparently excrement of some insect. As its general 
‘Sppearance very much resembled the well known Eucalyptus 
manna we were led to apply the usual tests for this substance, 
but with a result that large quantities of mannite were obtained, 
and so Proving that it did not belong to that group of mannas. 
In reply to a second letter on the subject, Mr. Chisholm writes: 
“ There is one thing certain though, it has nothing to do with 
_ trees 3! nothing whatever, existing on black soil plains, miles from 
timber of any kind. The flowering grass must be gathered in 
wet weather,? it is dry now. Sheep run about grubbing the white 
nine 
1 In reply to a letter asking if it had not dropped from a tree. 
2 In reply toa request for flowering specimens of the grass. 
