368 Annual Report of the Consulting Chemist for 1883. 
surface ; the contents of the other are from a 4-mch pipe, 3 feet 6 inches 
below the surface. 
" There is a strong run of water in the drains, which were put in eighteen 
years ago, and which showed no signs of failing until a few weeks ago, when 
the 'water rose to the surface, and on opening the drains they were found 
completely choked with this substance. 
" Will you be good enough to have the contents of these jars submitted to 
Dr. Voelcker and the experts who advise the Society on botanical matters, 
and let me know whether the substance is made up of root- fibres of plants 
growing on the surface ; or whether it is a subterranean growth generated in 
the same manner as the fungoid growth which is sometimes found under the 
bottoms of magazines in ships ; and in dark cellars where there is no venti- 
lation. " Yours faithfully, 
" John Swinbubke. 
"The Secretary of the Eoyal Agricultural Society." 
The substance which choked up the drains had nothing in 
common with the fibrous roots of trees and bushes, which some- 
times find their way into draining pipes and choke them up. It 
had a peculiar smell, which in the course of a few days became 
most offensive. In its natural state it was elastic like india- 
rubber, and presented itself to even a superficial observer 
as of fungoid growth. Dried between blotting-paper as much 
as possible, this peculiar substance still retained a large propor- 
tion of water, as the following partial analysis will show : — 
Water 83-37 
*Organic matter 7 '64 
Mineral matter (ash) 8 • 99 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen -52 
Equal to ammonia '63 
The dried substance (dried at 212° F.), according to this 
analysis, contains 6-81 per cent, of nitrogen. 
I submitted the plant to Mr. Carruthers, who wrote to me : — 
" The plant you sent me has no fructification, nor was it 
likely to have any in the locality where it was found. 
" It is, I have no doubt, a species of Achlya, a genus of 
plants which should be placed among the alga?, but they have 
no green colouring matter in them ; and so they are sometimes 
referred to fungi, and sometimes to alga?." 
This fungoid growth resembled in appearance the sewer 
fungus which may be seen in the carriers in which town-sewage 
is conveyed to the fields. 
The 'Journal' of the Society for 1883 contains the following 
contributions of mine : — 
1. Annual Report for 1882. 
2. Quarterly Reports to Chemical Committee. 
