J. SAUNDERS NOTES OX THE 5ITCET0Z0A. 67 



creeping stage has been observed on several occasions. These are 

 the first British localities for which the plasmodium of this species 

 has been recorded. 



Some Plasmodium of B. nitens was collected in a wood on 

 Zouches Farm at Christmas, 1892. It was attached to a fungus 

 (Irpex) that was on a decayed branch of oak. The whole thing — 

 wood, fungus, and mycetozoon — was frozen hard when obtained. 

 It rapidly thawed after reaching home, and exhibited movements 

 for several days. A portion of it was given to a gentleman at 

 Luton who took a casual interest in the subject. A short time 

 afterwards he allowed the plasmodium to diy up into the condition 

 of sclerotium. In this state it existed, looking like a piece of 

 sealing-wax, until the early spring of 1894. It was then placed 

 one evening in tepid water, which was kept warm, and during the 

 succeeding night it exhibited unusual activity. It continued in a 

 more or less mobile state for several weeks, when it matured and 

 formed its fruit. 



Whilst the foregoing species are usually found on decayed wood, 

 as oak and fir, others most frequently occur on dead leaves, 

 Craterium viOgare affects such situations, and may be seen throw- 

 ing out its fan-shaped processes formed of a dense network of 

 veins, but creeping from leaf to leaf, or insinuating itself between 

 the compacted layers of dead damp foliage. Its dull greenish- 

 yellow hue renders it inconspicuous and somewhat difiicult to 

 detect. Nor is it so satisfactory for microscopic work as are the 

 Badhamias, for its circulation is obscured by its partial opacity. 

 It would seem that it ingests particles of the dead leaves amongst 

 which it lives, as under a two-inch object-glass it appears to be 

 crowded with particles of them. Under cultivation we find that it 

 loses some of its green colour and becomes yellower, more like a 

 Badhamia. This is confirmed by Mr. C. Crouch, who states that 

 he has " developed Craterium vulgar e from very ochreaceous 

 Plasmodium, so that there seems to be no limit to variation of 

 plasmodium-colour in the species." 



In Stemo7iitis fusca, which is a wood-haunting species, we have 

 never succeeded in finding the plasmodium except just prior to 

 fruiting. It then appears as a white frothy substance, which 

 rapidly assumes a densely-packed, columnar structure. "When 

 mature it appears like a miniature forest of pines, with dark stems 

 and intricate branching. Stemonitis ferruginea is of similar habit, 

 and is distinguished by lemon-yellow plasmodium. 



The genus Reticularia is also a wood-haunting group, and so far 

 as our experience goes is invisible till maturity is approaching. 

 The largest specimen that has come under our notice was one of 

 R. Jycoperdon, which was attached to a decayed root on the north-east 

 side of Lilley Hoo. It measured more than four inches long and 

 three wide. It was intended to secure it for the Museum of this 

 Society, but it proved to be infested with beetles, which ruined it 

 as a specimen. 



Another species of similar habit is Lycogala epidendrum. Its 



