188 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1889. 



The spores of the Myxomycetes. — Mr. Harold Wingate, referring 



to the work done by Dr. Rostafinski some years ago upon the spores 

 of the Myxomycetes, and also to the recent paper by Mr. Geo. 

 Massee on the Trichiaceae, made a communication upon some of 

 the results he had obtained from the study of these reproductive 

 bodies. 



The speaker observed that for many years the mycologist had 

 been satisfied with the results obtained from the use of lenses from 

 t to i inch focus in arriving at the morphology of the spores of the 

 fungi, but of late years, in the study of the structural details of the 

 Myxomycetes, the results from the use of a good, high-power immer- 

 sion lens ( T V to i 1 * inch focus), have been so astonishing that the 

 careful investigation of this group is now impossible without such a 

 lens. 



The speaker for some years had spent considerable time in making 

 accurate drawings of the spores of this group, using a Zeiss water- 

 immersion lens equivalent to T V inch focus. It was interesting to 

 note that some of the drawings showed a tendency to fall into an 

 artificial series based upon the thickenings of the epispore, com- 

 mencing with simple structure and by gradual steps ending with a 

 rather complex one. 



The drawings were exhibited and the following types might be 

 selected as a series showing this progression: — 



1- — The series should begin with a spore absolutely without thicken- 

 ings, but, with the exception of the spore of an undescribed species, 

 no spore has yet been found in the speaker's collection which 

 would accurately fit this type from the hypercritical standpoint 

 of the present. 



2. — Thickenings of the epispore in the shape of isolated faint 

 warts, Arcyria puniceiz, Pers. 



3. — Thickenings in the shape of faint, sparsely scattered warts, 

 Comatricha pulchella, Bab. 



4. — Thickenings in the shape of faint warts somewhat thickly 

 scattered over the surface, Didymium squamulosum, A. & S. 



•>• — Thickenings in the shape of faint warts densely scattered over 

 the surface, Trichia fragilis, Sow. 



6. — Thickenings in the shape of warts arranged to form a pattern 

 having a reticulate appearance, Stemonitis fusca, Roth. 



7. — Thickenings in the shape of warts arranged to form a reticu- 

 late pattern, the warts confluent at their bases, Stemonitis dictyospora, 

 Rki. 



8. — Thickenings in the shape of warts which very frequently 

 coalesce to form a delicate fine-meshed net-work over the greater 

 portion of the epispore, the remaining surface with warts and ridges ; 

 the outline of the warted portion very irregular, Trichia seabra, Rki. 

 9— Thickenings in the shape of a delicate fine-meshed net-work 

 covering the greater portion of the epispore. 



A.— The portion without the fine net-work having scattered 

 warts and ridges and with an irregular outline, Tubulina 



