64 The Irish Naturalist. April, 



out of place to give a short account of some of their 

 habitats, etc. 



Badhamia foliicola was first collected at Ballymagee where sporangia 

 were found in groat profusion covering pieces of whin stick. INIuch rain 

 had fallen during the first fortnight of August, 1915, and after a few days 

 of fine weather specimens of several species were found on small pieces of 

 sticks lying under whins which were growing on the tops of old earthen 

 ditches. On examination, the sporangia were found to be externally 

 typical of this species, though under the microscope the spores showed 

 a tendency to cluster. Howe\-er, the colour of the spores was too pale 

 brown for B. utricularis with which this species might be confused, and 

 there was no leathery fungus in the neighbourhood on which the ])las- 

 modium could have fed. 



The specimen procured at Saintfield was on a heap of straw lying 

 under a hedge. The bright orange colour of the plasmodium attracted 

 attention, and when some of it was brought indoors it matured into the 

 grey iridescent sporangia in a couple of days. 



7>. viiens. — On picking up a small much decayed twig in a plantation 

 at Larchfield, near Lisburn, some typical sporangia of this species were 

 discovered : the only ones which we have so far been fortunate enough 

 to find. 



Physarum piOcherripes. — -While searching in a larch plantation in the 

 grounds of Sir John Rojbs of Bladensburg at Rostrevor a stump attracted 

 our attention, and here a number of the upright buff sporangia were 

 collected. Miss Lister, when returning the specimens, remarked that the 

 colour is less orange-red than usual, the stalks a darker broAvn, but the 

 lime-knots show the typical form and red colour. This is the first British 

 record for this species, and so far as ]\Iiss IJster knows is the lirst European 

 .specimen obtained. Miss Lister also drew our attention to the fact that 

 P. pulchevvipes is the earliest published name. " Peck afterwards pub- 

 lished pulchripes, but we must abide by the first." 



P. galbenm. — A short distance south of Bangor there is a small glen 

 filled for the most part with hazel scrub. Under some bushes a few 

 specimens were found on small decaying stems of Rosa canina. The 

 sporangia were quite typical in appearance, being bright yellow, erect 

 and smooth. Under the microscope the dense network of yellow capilli- 

 tium was clearly visible and the sporangium wall had a wrinkled l^ase 

 which is not always so in this species. On account of the minute size 

 of the sporangia they might easily be overlooked. 



Didymium Clavus. — The remarks made above concerning the finding 

 of Badhomia foliicola at kJallymagee also apply to this species. The 

 sporangia were quite typical and in good condition. The sporangia 

 collected at the Leverogue were rather over-ripe. They occurred on small 

 branches of dead bramble which were lying under some whin bushes. 



