52 British Fungi. 



conditions reproduce tliemselves by repeated hi- 

 partition, each cell dividing into two daughter- 

 cells, through several generations. This bipartitiou 

 usually takes place in one direction only, and as the 

 cells usually remain in contact for some time, strings 

 of cells result. Some species contain chlorophyll. 

 As a rule the individuals are produced in immense 

 numbers, which are collected in gelatinous colonies, 

 and not unfrequently these colonies are brilliantly 

 coloured. Many forms exhibit movements similar to 

 swarm-spores in fluids ; these mrvements have in some 

 instances been traced to the presence of extremely 

 fine cilia. In addition to the vegetative mode of re- 

 production by fission, spores are produced, and ac- 

 cording to their mode of formation, the group is 

 divided into Endosporous Bacteria and Artliro soporous 

 Bacteria. In the first group usually one spore is 

 formed within each cell, in the latter group the 

 individual cells become spores. De Bary considers 

 that the course of development of the Bacteria does 

 not point to any close affinity with the fungi, and the 

 forms of Bacillus and Sjnrillum that contain chloro- 

 phyll are certainly not fungi. The same author 

 considers that the starting point of the group is in 

 touch with the Flag Mat ess, with a divergence towards 

 the Algse and the Myxogastres. 



Collection and Presekvation of Fungi. 



Fungi can be examined best when fresh, never- 

 theless, a well preserved specimen is of great value 

 from the systematic standpoint, and in numerous 

 instances suffers so little from drying that, on being 



