The Van Buren press., 1876-05-30
White Grub Fungus.

few weeks since we received from gem
tleman in Carroll county specimen of the
above grub. We gave it to DIR. Bourand
who we knew was greatly interested in the
curious 1t being something out of the
Doctors line. he made description, and sent
1t to Il learned friend, and the answer we give
below. We regret that the letter from Chr.
roll is mislaid, and the name of the gentle
man gone from our mind. Dr.. Bourland be-
ing absent, we are deprived of his views on
this subject.
A. NJ. BouRLAND, NJ. D., Van Bnren, Ark
What you describe is the common white grub
fungus. 1t has been known to science for
several years, but has not been thoroughly in
vestigated yet. There is much mystery con-
nected with it. The sprout is of a fungoid
nature-a mushroom. The mushroom is said
to be poisonous to hogs that feed on it. There
seems to be no particular locality where it
may be found, more than where grub might
be found under ordinary circumstances. In
places where the earth has been shaded, the
year previous and not been stirred, fence cor
ners, stubbe fields, ETC., might be said to be
faVoroble localities. You will generally find
thsm in all stages of growth. Some merely
enlarged before terminating. many lust ger
minating, while. mothers, the features of the
grub will be preserved in the root even after
the mushroom has grown up through the
earth, and attained some size. You will often
notice two of those sprouts instead of one, as
in the specimens you have, There is a varie-
tyof colors. some green, some of reddish
purple, while the most of them are white,
without the least trace of color. Though 1t is
quite likely they are all identical. In all spec
linens the fungus seems to proceed from the
same portions of the body-the corners of
the mouth; hence, We would infer that the
insect, and being unable to make its way
through the tough skin. 1t pushes its way
through the aperture of the mouth.
| do not know that Botanists have decided
on name for this fungus, as yet. 1t is evi j..
IDENTIFY sphaertd. but as cryptogams of this
group bear their spores and reproduce them
selves in a variety of different ways. it is diff
tieult to conjecture what form this will be at
present If you have an opportunity to make
any observations, the means and manner of
reproduction will claim your highest atten-
tion. Any light you may be able to cast on
these points in future, will be most thankfully
received by all naturalists.
Formerly it was supposed that fungod
growth, mushrooms, toadstools, etc, only ger
minated in decaying vegetable and animal
matter; but the advance of science has dis
covered facts which prove to the reverse. For
instance the notorious blacknot is Il fungus
The we'll known eedar-appes on the cedar,
are fungusses. We occasionally find certain
pignut hickories with their twigs swelling
out into gnarled, blacksh eNeresences, often
as large as IA hens egg; as they are not caus-
ed by any insect they are most probably of
fangod origin. The common millew on the
grapevine is nothing but microscopic fun
gus; and upon the leaves of the wild crab,
orange-coored patches are, in certain sea-
sons, very abundant with the lower surface
of the patch exhibiting a curious ring of
dark, projecting dots, each of which are ho-
low, and crowned with fringe of minute
hairs at tip. This last is Il true fungoid growth
aud was described as such more than thirty
six years ago, hy Schweinitz, under the name
OF Hcidam pyratHm; it is stated to be so abun-
dant in an apple orchard in Tennessee as to
lHiye killed several trees: in Ohio it -is qnite
common on certain trees. The English name
for fungoid growths presenting the general
appearance of the above, Is "cluster cups"
The blacknot, cedar-apples, and the pignut
hickory excresences, are developed from the
twig OF the infested tree. The mildew and
the orange colored patches Schwein;tz the
fungoid growth is developed from the leaf
Many such rs the above might be enumerated.
1t is welknown that in Europe the common
silk-worm has, for a long series of years, been
terribly afflicted by a parasitic fungus; ac-
cording to DR.. Carpenter, it is not at all unu
sual in the West Indies to see wasps (g.nus
polistes, with plants of their own length pro-
jecting from their bodies.
DR. WIN. r. HOWARD.
Mem. Can. Ent. Soc. of Ontario, Canada,
Forsyth, Mo-, May II, 1876.