. Sharp eyes; a rambler's calendar of fifty-two weeks among insects, birds and flowers; . surface, found itattached to achrysalis an inchand a half inlength. Thebranching rootsot the fungus penetratedthe interior, and a dis-section of the chrysalisshowed the perfectly formedmoth ready to emerge, butnow being transformed froman insect into a fungus by theabsorption of the plant. What dowc infer from this? I have neverseen this species described, except inmy own paper in the Scie^itific Amer-ican some years since, but it is safe toassume that if it is ever seen again, inthe moss or else- where,
. Sharp eyes; a rambler's calendar of fifty-two weeks among insects, birds and flowers; . surface, found itattached to achrysalis an inchand a half inlength. Thebranching rootsot the fungus penetratedthe interior, and a dis-section of the chrysalisshowed the perfectly formedmoth ready to emerge, butnow being transformed froman insect into a fungus by theabsorption of the plant. What dowc infer from this? I have neverseen this species described, except inmy own paper in the Scie^itific Amer-ican some years since, but it is safe toassume that if it is ever seen again, inthe moss or else- where, the samechrysalis will be drawnto the surface with it,for it plainly belongsto a genus of fungi of whichseveral species are known, andone or two of which areamong the most remarkableof their tribe. In NewZealand, for instance,there is a similar spe-cies which has a fancyfor the head of a cer- lft\ u. ^ \ ^. THE WONDERFUL FUNGUS TRIBE 191 tain caterpillar. It grows rapidly to the length of sev-eral inches, gradually absorbing the body of the insect,and at length takes root in the ground and continuesits growth. In the Chinese apothecaries shops we may obtain aqueer bundle, like a small bunch of crooked dried fag-ots, about four inches in length. They are powderedand used as medicine by the innocent Celestials, andare a regular article in their pharmacopceia. It needsbut a second glance to see that these dried sticks con-sist of a long-stemmed fungus attached to the head of awrinkled dead caterpillar, a species known as the SpJiae-ria sinensis in the technical works. These are only a few of the typical eccentricities ofthis wonderful tribe of fungousgrowths. Almost any half-hourswalk in the country will show ^ us many equally instance of the chest- ^aii nut-spine fungus is but oneof many similar surprises instore for the amateur fun-gologist.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
