Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-10-22

Consul Jones Sends a Curiosity
From China.

The Department of State has just re-
rcived from Consul Jones at Chinkiang,-
China, small bottle containing some
specimens of the curious fungus that
grows out of species of caterpillar, lit
orally transforming the animal into a.
vegetable and causing the unhappy in
sect to serve the purpose of q root. Ii
Is the larva of kind of moth, and, when
the cold Of winter approaches, il makes
its way down into the soil TO the depth of
three or four inches. There tits attacked
by this remarkable disease and regularly
sprouts, sending up long shoot, which
appears and fructifies above the ground
like any mushroom, forming spores for
the purpose of its own reproduction.
The natives of Thibet and in the prov
inces Of Hupeh and Szechuan go about
looking for this fungus in the ncighbor-.
hood of certain sort of myrtle trees,
where only is il TO be found. They dig
up such specimens as they discover and
make them into little bundles, tied with.
red thread. In this shape they are sold.
as medicine, which is esteemed if pos
sible more highly than the famous gin
seng, being considered a powerful cura-
tive agent for diseases of the throat and
lungs Thus prepared for market they
look like diminrtive bulrushes, each
having for its root the mummy of a cat
erpillar.
Now, this fungus has no other method.
of growing than the one described
Therefore the fructifying top that is.
above ground scatters its spores around
under the scarlet-fowered myrtles on,
which the caterpillars feed. When the.
latter burrow into the soil to hibernate
they are apt to stir up some of the hos
tile germs, whereupon they are at once
attacked and speedily transformed into
vegetable tissue. Their bodies, without
losing their natural shape or external APP
pearance, are wholly filled with the my
celium, and the substance of their flesh
is metamorphosed into stalks sprouting
from their heads. Thus is afforded the
remarkable spectacle of living organisms
which are insects in summer and plants.
in winter. OF course sufficient number.
of these afflicted larvae must escape this
fate to perpetuate their species from
year to year and to supply reproductive
opportunities for the fungus.
Curiously enough, the common white
grub, which is the larva of beetle, Is in.
many parts of the United States attacked
by a fungus in manner in all respects.
similar. 1t has been suggested that
measures might be profitably taken TO.
artifcially inoculate this destructive
worm on large scale with the disease,
with a view to bringing about its partial.
or entire determination. Thus far no
economic use has been found for the
sprouts produced. In New Zealand
there grows out of the body of big
caterpillar a surprising edible mushroom,
the stalks of which are eight TO ten inches.
in length and are much priced by the na-
tives as an article of food. The latter
also burn it fer use as Il coloring matter.
There is fungus found in Costa Rica
which in the same way employs kind
of beetle for its root, as one might say.
The japanese grow several species of
edible fungi in logs of decayed wood.
after fashion peculiar to themselves.
One species of mushroom, which is util-
lied in Europe for killing flies, being re-
garded as one of the most poisonous.
forms, is employed by the northeastern
tribes of Asia as substitute for ardent
spirits, one large specimen being suffi-
ciont 90 produce pleasant intoxication
for a whole day. These same people use
another kind of agaric, pounded, for
snuff. BY the Chinese still another
variety is made, to serve as valued
dye for silk. However, these are only
a few of the existing curiosities in the
fungus ne.-[Washington Star.