MYCETOZOA PROM AROSA, SWITZERLAND 101 



plasmodiocarps were found in many places on the alps on dead 

 Cirsium stalks. 



D. WiLCZEKii Meylan. This alpine species was found 

 abundantly on the alps, and showed great diversity of form. 

 The largest gathering was on dead scapes of Aconitum Napellus 

 at an elevation of about 8000 ft. near the Altein Furka Pass ; it 

 consisted of some hundreds of sporangia clothed with flat discoid 

 scales formed of closely cohering crystals of lime. A remarkable 

 variety was obtained on the Ochsenalp. The specimen consists 

 of two depressed plasmodiocarps, about 13 mm. long ; the 

 superficial crystals form a continuous crust, and are easily 

 brushed off from the glossy purple-brown sporangium-wall ; a 

 columella is represented by the thickened spongy base of the 

 plasmodiocarp ; the spores are unusually large, 13-16 jj. diam., 

 purple-brown, closely and minutely spinulose. The most striking 

 feature is the capillitium, the threads of which are pale purple, 

 sparingly branched, about 2 /x diam., marked with a few dark 

 bead-like thickenings, and also with three to four slender close-set 

 spiral bands ; these either wind smoothly round the thread, or 

 together form a prominent spiral : the direction of the spiral 

 is similar to that on the elaters of Trichia. We have been 

 accustomed hitherto to regard the development of spiral bands on 

 the capillitium as a character of generic importance, found only in 

 the Calonemeae division of the Mycetozoa. It is, therefore, rather 

 disconcerting to have perfectly regular spiral bands formed on all 

 the capillitium threads of this Didymium which in every other 

 respect resembles D. Wilczekii. 



Lepidoderma Carestianum Eost. A few thick-walled plasmo- 

 diocarps were found on turf near melting snow, and on Girsium 

 scapes. The capillitium of one specimen shows an unusual struc- 

 ture ; the threads are pale yellow, simple below, branched above, 

 and consist of a central strand surrounded by a sheath broken up 

 into long or short segments ; such a structure usually occurs in 

 the capillitium of CoUoderma, but I have not seen it in any other 

 species. 



Colloderma oculatum (Lippert) G. Lister. On decayed 

 spruce stumps, on both sides of the Plessur valley. Fragments 

 of mossy wood with sporangia were brought back to England and 

 kept moist under a bell-jar for four months, during which time 

 fresh sporangia continued to appear at one point or another over 

 the surface. Besides a growth of moss the wood was coated with 

 a gelatinous green alga, with which Colloderma is usually associ- 

 ated. Through the alga the plasmodium emerges as scattered 

 sulphur-yellow beads, which soon secrete a gelatinous envelope ; 

 in many cases the mature sporangium pushes out through this 

 envelope, enclosed only by a delicate iridescent membrane which 

 readily breaks and allows the spores to be scattered. 



Stemonitis fusca Eoth. On spruce logs. 



S. ferruginea Ehrenb. On spruce logs, found only in a 

 weathered condition. 



