SPECIAL MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF SARCODINA 331 



of the plant, different individuals fusing to form plasmodial masses 

 which fill the cell. With exhaustion of the cell contents the process 

 of reproduction begins and results in the formation of great masses 

 of uninucleate "spores." 



Other genera parasitic on plants are Tetramyxa, Goebel (forming 

 galls on Rz/ppia rosteUata) and Sorosphmra, Schroter (causing 

 tumors in various species of Veronica) . 



The genera Sporoviyxa, Leger, and Mycetosporidmin, Leger and 

 Hesse, are parasites of beetles (Scaurns'tristis, and OtiorJiynchus 

 uscipes). 



Order III. EUPLASMODmA, Lister. 



(Mycetozoa s, str. Mj'xogasteres). 



This order includes the great majority of Mycetozoa and forms 

 which in their life histories agree with the description given above 

 (p. 326). Myxamoebffi and myxoflagellates are invariable, so too 

 are true plasmodia and complex sporangia which with the exception 

 of the family Ceratiomyxidse (Exosporea), are invariably surrounded 

 by a peridium. 



The "spores" are usually globular, rarely elliptical and are often 

 compressed by pressure into polygonal forms. In the majority of 

 cases they are violet in color but colorless, white, yellow, brown and 

 red sporangia are known. In most cases the "spores" are uninu- 

 cleate but forms with two, and with four nuclei are known. 



In some cases the simultaneously formed sporangia unite to form 

 a common fruiting body in which the individual sporangia may still 

 be distinguished in some types. In other types, however, this inde- 

 pendence is lost and one common fruiting body results, with one 

 continuous capillitium. Such fruiting bodies are called sethalia. See 

 Key for further classification. 



Sub-class III. FORAMINIFERA, d'Orbigny. 

 (Reticulosa, Thalamophora) . 



This group of the rhizopods includes a large number of bottom 

 dwelling, marine Sarcodina with anastomosing pseudopodia (myxo- 

 podia). A few forms live in fresh water {AUogrornia species), and 

 some forms are pelagic in the sea (Globigerina, etc.). The great 

 majority are provided wdth shells or tests composed for the most 

 part of calcium carbonate. In some, however, tlie shell is purely 

 organic, consisting of substance of gelatinous or pseudochitinous 

 character (Allogromia); or foreign particles of sand, diatom shells 

 and detritus of one kind or another, may be cemented to the pseudo- 

 chitinous test by gelatinous or chitinous cement. Such tests are 

 usually described as arenaceous, in contrast with the clear lime shells 

 or porcellanous tjpes. The walls of the shells are either thick and 



