256 
PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 
some years ago. Professor Leidy remarked that a pair of flamingoes 
had recently died in the Garden of the Zoological Society at Fairmount 
Park. Dr. Chapman, who had dissected the birds, called his attention 
to the diseased condition of the lungs of one of them, the other not 
being affected in this respect. The posterior part of the lungs on both 
sides, contiguous to the abdominal air-sacs, was occupied by an indu- 
rated brown substance, in striking contrast with the usual bright 
roseate hue of the neighbouring pulmonary tissue. An incision made 
into the indurated substance exhibited a brown compact surface with 
greenish-black dots which corresponded with the bronchial tubes. 
On microscopical examination the substance was found to be pervaded 
with a fungous vegetation, and the greenish-black dots were due to 
the fruit heads profusely covered with coloured spores. 
Professor Owen, upwards of forty years ago, mentioned the exist- 
ence of a green mould he had observed in the lungs of a flamingo 
which died in the menagerie of the Zoological Society of London, but 
he gave no description of the plant by which we can recognize it. 
Since then many accounts have been given of the existence of fungous 
vegetation in the diseased lungs of various birds, but I think it has 
not been determined whether the diseased condition was due to the 
fungus, or whether this was a subsequent production. 
The plant observed in our diseased flamingo belongs to the Moulds 
or Mucedines, and is evidently an Aspergillus. A number of species 
of this genus have been described, growing on various decaying sub- 
stances. The common blue mould found in cheese and bread kept in 
a damp place is the Aspergillus glaucus. From this the mould of the 
flamingo is quite distinct in the structure of the fruiting receptacles, 
in which respect it more nearly resembles the Aspergillus duhius, 
growing on rabbit's dung. The Aspergillus of the flamingo I suspect 
to be the same as one described by M. Robin, under the name of 
Aspergillus nigrescens, discovered by him in the lungs of a pheasant 
(^Phasianus colchicus) affected with phthisis. 
In the flamingo mould the mycelium consisted of a dense flock of 
delicate ramifying filaments pervading the indurated pulmonary 
tissue, which consisted largely of nucleated cell elements and granules. 
The threads of the mycelium were branching, and occupied on the 
interior with clear globules appearing like rows of beads. The 
threads measured usually the g^^o^th of a millimeter or less in 
diameter. 
The fruiting stems were straight, from ^th to f ths of a millimeter 
long, not articulated, usually simple, and rarely divided approximat- 
ing a right angle, near the head. They were about the 2^3^o*h mm. 
wide at the mycelial origin, and double the width approaching the 
head. The head continuous with the stem was pyriform ; or the stem 
expanded into a globular receptacle, which was closely crowded with 
linear processes, or sporophores, supporting the spherical, translucent 
coloured spores. The latter profusely invested the heads, but were 
too ripe and readily detached to determine their exact arrangement in 
relation with the sporophores. These, on the contrary, remained firmly 
attached to the receptacle. 
The receptacles measured from the -^^th mm. to the ^'^th mm. 
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