liY HENRY TRYON, 
5S 
In Australia the subject seems to have been almost wholly 
neglected, though a few fungi, subsisting upon living insects, 
have certainly been systematically determined and described. 
There are three species of Cordyceps — C. Guniiii, C. Hawkesii, 
and C. entoinorrhiza — giving rise to "wliat ai’e known as vege- 
table caterpillars.” Two species ol Isaria — I. cicadjn and I. 
suffructicosa — the former, as its name implies, from the cicada, 
and the latter parasitic on a living hairy caterpillar , two 
species of Microcera, which live on Scale Insects— one of which 
it was my privilege to introduce to science ; an undescnbed 
fungus already noticed by myself as having the Black Scale for 
its host; and, finally, the well-known parasite of the house-fly, 
formerly known as Sporendonema musci or Empusa niusci, but- 
now regarded as the terrestrial form of Saprolegnia ferox.. 
of these, however, except the last mentioned, may be regarded 
as virulent enemies of the species of the insects which Biey 
affect, although the species of Microcera are highly prejudicial 
to those particular kinds of insects which thej affect. 
The well-known vegetable caterpillars before you (two from 
'^ew Zealand and two— involving, vine-feeding lunvk-mot i. 
iaterpillars-from New Houth Wales) illustrate what is implied 
)y parasitism by Cordyceps. Here a larva of ordinary soft 
consistence has been brought into contact wit i or eco 
:nfectea by a special fungus-spore which has germinated within 
it, and in the course of continuous vegetative growth lias 
wmpleielv replaced the original a,nimal tissue by a toiig i n e 
Jompaet “substance, which when examined by aid ot 
microscope will be found to he composed of intricately luteilac i 
tubular bodies or hyplue-the elementary tissue of ^ ’ 
The caterpillar when in this condition, is hard, but 
being then easily broken across. Frequently growth does no 
proceed beyond this stage, but lurder condihom 
reproductive organs are formed, a stout sta i o = 
inches in lieiglh arising just behind the head. 
be simple or bifurcate, and terminate m " ^ " 
subclavate head, which will be found to be 
rough at the sites of little pores, vhioh 
peritbecia, which contain elongated vesic es-the asci, m each 
which are eight jointed filiform bodies, the spores. 
