24 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



it more suitable. The Linnasan description amounts to nothing : 

 " unctuosus fiavus " may refer to any plasmodium. Schaeffer, I.e., 

 gives figures, supplementing his description, which leave little 

 doubt as to his intent. His specific name is therefore adopted. 



2. FULIGO MUSCORUM Alb. and Schw. 



1805. Fidigo muscorum Alb. and Schw., Cons. Fung., p. 86, Tab. VII. I. 

 1875. Licea ochracea Peck, N. Y. Rep., XVIII., p. 55. 

 1879. Fuligo ochracea Peck, N. Y. Rep., XXXI., p. 56. 



Plasmodium yellow. ^Ethalium globoid very small, I cm. or 

 less, the cortex very thin, greenish yellow ; capillitium well devel- 

 oped, the numerous calcareous nodes fusiform or often branch- 

 ing, and connected by rather short transparent internodes ; 

 spores coarsely warted, 10-11 yu,. 



This form seems to differ from the preceding chiefly in its 

 constant diminutive habit of fruiting, in its delicate cortex, and 

 in its spores ; brighter, larger, and more coarsely warted. The 

 descriptions and figure by Schweinitz seem referable to nothing 

 else. 



Our only specimens are from New York, and there is no 

 report of the occurrence of the species elsewhere. 



3. FULIGO VIOLACEA Persoon. 



1801. Fuligo violacea Persoon, Syn. Meth., p. 160. 



1827. jEthalium iriolaceiim Sprengel, Syst., IV., p. 533. 



1829. AZthalinm septicum, var. uiolaceum Fries, Syst. Myc., III., p. 93. 



1896. Fuligo violacea Pers., Morgan, Cm. Soc. Nat. Hist., p. 103. 



yEthalium thin, two or three inches wide, covered by a cortex 

 at first bright yellow and very soft, at length almost wholly 

 vanishing, so that the entire mass takes on a purple violet tint, 

 upper surface varied with white ; capillitium rather open, the 

 more or less inflated, large, irregular nodes joined by long, 

 slender, delicate, transparent filaments ; spores dark violet, 

 minutely roughened, spherical, about 7.5 /u. 



Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee. Probably everywhere, but not dis- 

 tinguished from No. i. 



