in consequence of coming into
contact with each other.[O]

During the spring of 1851, some twelve or twenty specimens were found
from amongst myriads of _Cicada septemdecim_, which, though living,
had the posterior third of the abdominal contents converted into a
dry, powdery, ochreous-yellow compact mass of sporuloid bodies. The
outer coverings of that portion of the insect were loose and easily
detached, leaving the fungoid matter in the form of a cone affixed by
its base to the unaffected part of the abdomen of the insect. The
fungus may commence, says Dr. Leidy, its attacks upon the larva,
develop its mycelium, and produce a sporular mass within the active
pupa, when many are probably destroyed; but should some be only
affected so far as not to destroy the organs immediately essential to
life, they might undergo their metamorphosis into the imago, in which
case they would be affected in the manner previously described.[P]

The common house-fly in autumn is very usually subject to the attacks
of a mouldy fungus called _Sporendonema muscae_, or _Empusa muscae_ in
former times, which is now regarded as the terrestrial condition of
one of the _Saprolegniei_.[Q] The flies become sluggish, and at last
fix themselves to some object on which they die, with their legs
extended and head depressed, the body and wings soon becoming covered
with a minute white mould, the joints of which fall on the surrounding
object. Examples are readily distinguished when they settle on windows
and thus succumb to their foe. Mr. Gray says that a similar mould has
been observed on individuals of the wasp family.

A _Gryllotalpa_ was found in a wood near Newark, Delaware, U. S., upon
turning over a log. The insect was seen standing very quietly at the
mouth of its oval cell, which is formed in the earth, having a short
curved tube to the surface. Upon taking it up it exhibited no signs of
movement, though perfectly fresh and lifelike in appearance. On
examining it next morning it still presented no signs of life. Every
part of the insect was perfect, not even the antennae being broken.
Upon feeling it, it was very hard and resistant, and on making an
incision through the thorax it exhaled a fungoid odour. The insect had
been invaded by a parasitic fungus which everywhere filled the animal,
occupying the position of all the soft tissue, and extending even into
the tarsal joints. It formed a yellowish or cream-coloured compact
mass.[R]

The d