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SELECTED ARTICLES. 
origin; these examinations show their various methods of ger- 
mination, and their advancement to maturity and ultimate ri- 
pening, or producing the means of their reproduction; yet this 
minute plant does not measure more than l-300th to l-100th 
part of an inch in length or breadth. 
The fact of having caused these minute plants to grow, in- 
dependent or not connected with the body of the ergot, and 
without assuming any form in the least way similar to it, is 
the most convincing proof that the flocci, or arachnoid fila- 
ments, and the particles, before mentioned, occurring on the 
surface of the ergot, are no part of that body, but are the mi- 
croscopic plants just described, which choose the grains of ma- 
ny grasses as the matrix of their developments, such plants be- 
longing to the order of vegetables denominated Fungaceae. 
There are other proofs of the independent existence of the 
microscopic fungus, for it is found that it is not exclusively 
confined to the grain as a locality, but is observed to flourish 
on many other parts of the same grass, viz. in the interior and 
on the exterior of the anthers, on the palese, on the glumes, 
and on several parts of the rachis of the infected plant; but not 
occasioning there any exuberant growth of the part, for obvi- 
ous reasons; because these parts have completed their deve- 
lopment before the fungus makes its appearance; and their 
structure is not like that of the grain, which, at the period of 
the attack is exceedingly young, and just commencing to grow 
rapidly, and susceptible of impressions which can easily per- 
vert its form and structure. 
I conceive from the foregoing remarks that my examinations 
have proved that the ergot of the rye, as well as other grasses, is 
produced by a particular species of fungus, which developes it- 
self upon or in the grain, whilst the latter is very young, 
causing its remarkable alteration from a healthy grain, in form, 
color, chemical composition, and properties. 
The method by which this singular production probably 
originates (for at present all respecting this part is uncertain) 
is, that the sporidia of this fungus are by some means intro- 
duced into the interior of the plant, and ultimately arrive at 
