THE ERGOT OF RYE, ETC. 
127 
These granules seem important points, and appear to be^ana- 
lagous to the embryo of the seeds of more highly organized 
plants. 
The last and most remarkable manner of germination is that 
of the sporidia, having a septum formed across their interior, 
by a green granule extending itself laterally, which divides 
them into two parts, each of which becomes again divided by 
a similar process, seen at figs. 12, 13, 14, 15. By a repetition 
of this method there at last is formed a monilform filament, 
which, though simple in its origin, ultimately becomes branch- 
ed, the branchlets most commonly radiating from a central 
collection of cellules. These filaments are the analogues of 
minute stems, and at a certain age give off, from innumerable 
points of their surface, little germs, which in a short time in- 
crease and become perfect sporidia, as seen figs. 16, 17 {a a a) 
which commence again in the several methods of germination 
just detailed. As the minute filaments belonging to one plant 
get what may be termed, ripe, the mass of cellules that have 
been developed about those first generated in the centre be- 
come to be considerably condensed and pressed together, as 
at fig. 17, (b,) so as to lose the distinct boundaries they origi- 
ginally possessed; and they begin to assume a brownish-yellow 
color, and in fact, look now exactly like a section of the body 
of the ergot itself. 
Here then has been witnessed by daily examinations, the 
growth of these sporidia, which, being found on the ergot of 
every grass, are without doubt connected with the cause of its 
