The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-08-21

II is mammal" exclaimed the people
Of Israei as they gathered the food
which seemed 50 miraeulously 20 aB
pear at their very feet IN answer 70
their cry for suslenancc. but though
they ate and were satisfied yet, we are
tola they twist not what It was. And
during the ages that have passed since
its first appearance on that memorable
dewy r1orning IN the Wilderness OF
Sin. men have declared again and
again that they twist not what Il was"
that thus fed the Israelites In their
heed. though nnmberless conjectures
have been made and discussions held
oA the natter The chief opinion
which had sway for a long time was
that mama was the sap Of the lamar
isS; but HOW authorities. seeing in the
light OF widening scientific knowledge
declare that mamma was without doubt
a certain hchen (Lecanora esculenta).
This is borne ont By the fact that well
authenticated rains OF mama. absO-
lutely believed by the inhabitants to
be showers from heaven. have been re-
ported at least six times during the
present century by reliable travellers
in the East. and the descriptions OF the
deposit given In precise present day
language leave no doubt upon the
point II a piece OF mama be
examined under the microscope its pc
culiar compound structure can be
clearly seen; there IS delicate net
work Of interlacing fungal threads
glistening in the light while enclosed
in their meshes are number Of
round. bright green cells. each tiny
algal plant Thus fungus and alga
live together in most intimate connec-
tion. the fungus being in the mama
lichen the leading ssirit, though this
is not the case in every hchen. for in
some Of these organisms the develop
ment Of the green plant is the factor
determining the form which viii be
taken. II may be asked how fresh
manna-lichens arise seeing that it Is
difiicult 10 imagine frequent coinci-
dent meeting Of a particular fungus
and a particular green plant But,
granted the meeting has once taken
place. the rapid reproduction is easy
20 understand At certain times in
the year a yellowish dust appears in
little green cups. growing on the sur
face OF the plant. and each OF the
grains OF dust is a minute bundle con-
tanning lew Of the white flaments
and a few Of the green cells wrapped
up together, so that wherever this dust
may fall each grain can become new
manna-lichen. There is. moreover, a
second method Of reproduction. in
which the fungus alone takes part. and
sends out tiny offspring to take their
chance In the wide world OF finding a
suitable host as their parent has done;
but the details are complicated and at
present involved in some obscurity.
Thus then Lecanora esculenta-man- |
na-is IN its very nature one Of the /
most remarkable phenomena in the /
vegetable world. To Is found over
great tracts OF southwest Asia. near /
Constantinople. in the Crimea. the
deserts OF Arabia. in the Sahara. and
the deserts Of Algeria. II Is easy 10
pass Il by unnoticed. for it is grayish
yellow In color. and grows on gray
limestone rocks and fragments Of rock
in the form Of a wrinkled crust. which
seems to a casual observer part OF the
very rock itself. and needs special care
to distinguish &C. Cut through. It is
white like corn within. dry and powd-
cry 1t is, moreover. extremely light
in weight--G Clarke Nuttell. IN the
Sunday Magazine.