124 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



sporangia in the form of small twigs or dried leaves laid lightly 

 upon the plasmodium. Excellent specimens have been secured 

 in this way. In one instance, in lieu of any better object, a Mantis 

 ootheca which was lying on tlie ground near by (an old one) was 

 utilised with complete success ; next morning I found it all but 

 covered with sporangia of Diachcea leucopoda. 



A few notes may be given describing the methods I have used 

 in preserving and posting these fragile specimens. Most of the 

 difficulties may be overcome with the aid of patience, some 

 medium strength mill-board and a supply of carpenter's glue. 

 Cards are cut upon which the specimen with a reasonably large 

 piece of the substratum can be glued. The card with the speci- 

 men attached can then be glued firmly to the bottom and sides 

 of a strong cardboard or light wooden box. The w^hole can then be 

 sent by post protected outside by shock-absorbing material of any 

 convenient description. Dusty specimens with their cards should be 

 enveloped in tissue paper before glueing the card to the transport 

 box. Chip boxes are also useful for packing fragile specimens. 

 Postal packets probably get no more handling than is necessary, 

 but what they do get on this side at any rate is none too gentle. 



What must strike anyone most who collects these lowly forms 

 in the more remote parts of the world is their extraordinarily 

 wide distribution. Quite a number of those that flourish near 

 my quarters here I might have found at home in Aberdeenshire. 

 Indeed one of the first objects that attracted my attention, when 

 revisiting an old haunt while home on leave last year, was a fine 

 specimen of Tubifera ferruginosa. 1 fear its presence there in a 

 pine wood called up no sentimental longings for the land of the 

 Oil Palm, for though Nigeria is by no means " the last place on 

 earth " that it is supposed to be by many it holds no substitute 

 for a pine wood, and no scent like that of the pine needles. 



As to the relative abundance of the different species, it is 

 difficult to speak with confidence from the limited experience that 

 I have had. In a recent three weeks' trekking in a forest-covered 

 district I seemed to meet nothing but Geratiomyxa. Fuligo septica 

 is perhaps the most ubiquitous here ; it was the first to appear when 

 the rains broke this year ; Stemonitis splendens is very common 

 especially in open clearings, frequently on the burnt surface of 

 logs ; S. herbatica is also widely distributed, but all these forms 

 are very conspicuous and may be seen when others are missed. 



In conclusion I must express my indebtedness to Miss Lister 

 for all the help and encouragement she has given me. I fear the 

 result, so far as my collection is concerned, is by no means pro- 

 portionate. I must offer in excuse for the smallness of the 

 collection pressure of official duties. 



II. Notes on Mr. Farquharson's Mycetozoa. 



By G. Lister. 



The above account gives a graphic picture of the districts 

 that have formed Mr. Farquharson's hunting-grounds in South 



