12 
ON MIMICRY IN FUNGI. 
substances — are most probably attractive to insects, for Sir John 
Lubbock, with whom I communicated on the subject, was kind 
enough to inform me that “ there can be no doubt that insects 
possess the power of smell ; ” and I believe the same opinion is 
held by other entomologists. 
Luminosity. — Dr. T. A. Chapman tells me “ there are some 
1 60 species of the Dipterous family, Mycetophilidce , many of which 
live in rotten wood, or rather on the mycelium in it, as many beetles 
do.’' Now, there is a well-known property of some mycelia which 
they possess in common with certain insects — viz., luminosity, the 
the advantage of which to the fungus is very difficult to perceive. 
That this is advantageous to myceliophagus insects is obvious, but 
it would seem rather detrimental than otherwise to the mycelium. 
It is possible, however, that the depredations of myceliophagus 
insects are more than compensated for by the advantages accruing 
to the fungus possessing luminous mycelium from the visits of 
non-myceliophagus insects bringing with them a fresh stock of 
germinating or re-vivifying spores. Whether subsequent obser- 
vation will bear out this suggestion or not, the fact remains that 
certain fungi and certain mycelia especially possess the property of 
luminosity in common with certain insects. 
That flies are able to transport the spores of fungi, if it has not 
yet been actually demonstrated, is rendered exceedingly probable 
from their ability to convey other low forms of vegetable life. The 
terrible disease, anthrax, has long been known to occasionally 
originate from the bite of a fly, and it has always been supposed 
the fly must previously have visited some diseased or putrefying 
animal matter. Yirchow and Bourgeois consider that the infection 
may be communicated by their soiled wings and feet, although 
mostly it is held that a puncture by the fly’s probosces is necessary. 
The last named gentleman (Bourgeois) has seen the disease pro- 
duced by the puncture of a gadfly, which came out of a fleece of 
wool.* 
The recent researches of M. Pasteur have demonstrated that 
anthrax is due to the presence in the blood of Bacillus anthracis 
(an organism, be it remembered, that sometimes attains a length 
four times greater than that of the spores of Phallus impudicus ') . 
A fly settling upon the body of an animal recently dead from this 
disease, or sucking the blood from one yet alive suffering from it, 
would constitute a most effectual means of transmitting it to the 
next animal or man which it punctured with its probosces. f 
Intekfungal Mimicries. — There are several well marked in- 
stances of this, the mere enumeration of which will recall them to 
mycologists ; such as Agaricus atratus , Fr., and Cantharellus car- 
* Aitken, “ Science and Practise of Medicine,” 1863, Yol. i, p. 689. 
t M. Pasteur has still more recently shown that earth-worms are 
capable of transmitting Bacillus anthracis from the buried bodies of 
infected animals to the surface of the ground, and that sheep feeding upon 
the place contracted and died from anthrax. 
