igo NATURE NOTES. 
Following Dr Miller, I placed some hay in a jar, leaving 
a few stalks projecting above the surface of the water. In 
about twelve days large numbers of zoospores were seen. 
On the twenty-sixth day sporangia had appeared. These 
occurred in groups. In group (a) seven stalks of hay bore 
eighty-eight sporangia. Group (0) consisted of twenty-seven 
sporangia borne on two stalks of hay. These two groups were 
together, Exactly opposite, at the other side of the jar, was a 
group (c) of seventeen sporangia on the glass, Examination 
showed this species to be Didymium nigvipes (Fries), micro- 
carpon (Rost), var. Xanthopus. Dr Miller, in his article, states 
that D. microcarpon usually appears in hay cultures made 
without aseptic precautions, and that it forms sporangia from 
the twenty-first to the twenty-fourth day after planting. 
Lister (mon. Mycetozoa) gives Edinburgh as a locality for 
var. Xanthopus of this species. In those sporangia which 
I examined the white columella, which is the varietal 
character, was distinctly seen. Spores placed in a hanging 
drop hatched within twenty-four hours. It was most in- 
teresting to watch the emergence of the zoospores. The 
spore-case ruptured, and the contents slowly escaped. After 
‘lying beside the empty case for awhile as a clear, round 
drop, very slow amcboid movements began, which lasted 
for about ten or twelve minutes. During this time the 
flagellum seemed to be developing, and the zoospore, now 
somewhat elongated, swam away through the surrounding 
water with a peculiar dancing movement. They are now 
somewhat pear-shaped, with the flagellum extended as the 
stalk of the pear. The nucleus lies at the anterior end. 
The older zoospores would sometimes come to rest on the 
slide, and immediately amceboid movements would begin ; 
the creature drawing itself together and sending out pseudo- 
podia in all directions. One or two specimens, after moving 
thus in an indefinite manner for a time, would assume a 
linear form, and crawl over the slide with the flagellum 
extended straight out in front, and with several slender 
pseudopodia projecting behind. 
Wishing to follow the life-history of Didymiwm nigripes, 
I next prepared several cultures as described by Dr Miller. 
Dilute hay infusion with 2 per cent. milk was placed in 
