70 J. SAUNDERS — NOTES ON THE MTCETOZOA, 



sporangia which he did not understand. Examination with a lens 

 showed that we had undoubtedly before us the sporangia of a 

 Mycetozoon, appearing as minute white heads on black stalks. A 

 good supply was secured, and allowed to mature under the best 

 possible conditions. As no species with similar sporangia appeared 

 to be described in our text-book, specimens were forwarded to Mr. 

 A. Lister for identification. His reply was to the effect that it 

 was a species that had been found before only in the United States, 

 in the primeval forests of several mountain-ranges, and was there- 

 fore a new European record. A few weeks afterwards we revisited 

 the spot, and again found the sporangia in fair quantity in a fully- 

 matured condition. It was certainly an interesting discovery, 

 forming as it does another connecting-link between the life-forms 

 of the two hemispheres. There can be no suspicion either that it 

 had been imported by human agency, for it is one of those obscure 

 forms that can only be detected by persistent search. 



Anyone who might take up this subject for investigation would 

 find himself traversing a comparatively unexplored territory, where 

 there is abundant room for original research. It would lead him 

 into the very arcana of nature's mysteries, and at times it would 

 seem as though the secret of organic life was to be unfolded to him. 

 Yet, like a "Will o' the Wisp," it evades his grasp, and he finds 

 himself still on the threshold of, and not within, the great " Temple 

 of Truth." Bafiled truly, but not discouraged ! 



[At the close of the lecture several lantern-slides were shown, 

 illustrating the structure of the organisms under consideration. 

 One of these was a preparation of the living plasmodium, or 

 creeping stage. It was mounted in a moistened glass cell of the 

 usual size for exhibition by a lantern, and it had been kept on the 

 person of the lecturer, in the hope that the warmth of the body would 

 cause the contents to develop movements, which fortunately was 

 the case. When placed in the lantern, and its shadow projected 

 upon the screen, it was seen to have thrown out a fan-shaped, 

 intricate network of veins, showing also the rich yellow colour 

 of the genus {Badhamia) to which it belongs. Whilst a brief 

 description of it was being given, the audience and the lecturer 

 alike were surprised to observe that the creature was receding 

 towards the piece of decayed wood from which it had crept. " It 

 moves," was the comment of the lecturer; "evidently the intense 

 light and heat are too much for it." And to the gratified surprise 

 of all present, the organism gradually receded towards the fragment 

 of wood in which it had been found. The object was then put on 

 one side until the other slides had been duly examined. After an 

 interval of about ten minutes it was replaced in the lantern, when 

 no trace of the plasmodium could be discerned, it having collected 

 itself into a compact mass under the shade of the piece of wood. 

 Subsequent observation showed that it took three or four days of 

 careful treatment to enable it to partially recover fi'om the shock 

 it had received, but it never regained its full vigour, and gradually 

 dwindled away.] 



