8o Rhodora Arr. 
To describe in detail the beauties of structure which the micro- 
scope reveals in the sporangia of these wonderful plants is beyond the 
scope of this paper. Some notion, however, of their variety and del- 
icacy of form is given by the accompanying plate, which represents 
species of six of the forty and more generally known in the United 
States. All the species figured are found in New England, and one 
( Comatricha cespitosa Sturgis) was first discovered there. 
But it is proper now to offer a hint or two relative to the preserva- 
tion and subsequent care of the materials we have gathered in wood 
and field. It is idle to collect the objects of natural history unless we 
may study them, and for satisfactory study they must be properly pre- 
served. ‘The care of the dainty forms we here discuss begins in the 
field. We should so carefully remove our material from its place of 
growth as not in the least to mar its pristine beauty. The collector 
should go armed with a stout knife, to cut away, if need be, a block of 
wood; he must carry a sufficient number of small boxes in which his 
finds may be stowed for safe transportation. Specimens, no doubt once 
good, often come in ruined by careless handling. If the specimen is 
to be of value it must be subject to no ill usage whatsoever. 
Once we have our material at home it may be laid out on tables to 
dry, preparatory to mounting forthe herbarium. Herbarium speci- 
mens are best cared for by mounting in small boxes, which may be 
selected of such size that a certain number will exactly fill a shallow 
covered tray, say one inch deep, and of the dimensions, outside, of 
standard herbarium-sheets. In these little boxes specimens may be so 
mounted as to be examined by the microscope with ease. A good 
method is shown by the accompanying fig- 
ure. Here to the bottom of the box (a) is ne 
glued a bit of cork (c); on this is fastened 
by a drop of glue a bit of the material carry- 
ing the slime mould. This mount should be 
just so high in the box that the sporangia willie escope the lid when 
the box is closed. A smaller bit of material may be similarly attached 
to the box side (7) for examination by the microscope in this position. 
Nearly all the small-fruited forms repay study, simply as dark objects, 
under the low powers of the microscope. No tiny natural objects 
evince a more elegant symmetry of form, more delicate shadings of 
color than do these. 
For more exact study we must prepare our materials for investiga- 
