THE MYCETOZOA OF THE EAST RIDING. 1 97 



save disappointment on the part of future workers to point 

 out that a few of the less known have lost the particular 

 feature which made them so productive. Thus, Thorp 

 Garth, Aldborou^h, is credited with twenty-four species, 

 nearly all of which were gathered in an old stickheap, 

 some five yards by five, which has since been destroyed ; 

 while the stickheap at Hedon referred to so often in the 

 records was a collection of elm logs which were sawn up 

 last year. The Newton Garth locality still exists : it is a 

 group of willows, surrounding a hollow partly filled with 

 rotten logs, at the edge of the second field on the field path 

 from Hedon to Paull. 



Better hunting grounds will be found to the west of Hull 

 among the beech woods on the chalk, and the fir plantations 

 of Derwentland. The Hull Parks should produce many 

 other species, more particularly in the autumn on fallen 

 leaves, especially if these are gathered into heaps for "leaf 

 mould." The neighbourhood of Cottingham will probably 

 be productive ; many new species have been discovered 

 during recent years on the waste heaps of market gardens 

 in the Midlands. 



It may not be out of place to pass on some instructions 

 as to the preservation of Mycetozoa. Immediately they are 

 brought home the)' must be laid on a tray until they are dry. 

 If left in a vasculum or tube they invariably become mouldy. 

 When dried the)' may be glued in cardboard boxes, prefera- 

 bly on paper trays which can be lifted out when it is desired 

 to examine or remove specimens. Match boxes answer 

 admirably for small gatherings, though it will facilitate 

 storage and save much future trouble if boxes of a uniform 

 size are used. If kept in a dry place with a little naphthalene, 

 the sporangia retain their shape and colour indefinitely. 



Since the determination of a species depends on the 

 spores and capillitium it is necessary to prepare slides. A 

 sporangium is placed on the glass slip, a drop of alcohol 

 added, and then a few drops of water. With the aid of a 

 needle miniature waves are created in the mixture, and these, 

 dashing against the sporangium, wash out the spores which 

 would otherwise hide the capillitium. There is no danger of 

 losing all the spores. The water is then drained off, a drop 

 of ten per cent, carbolic acid is added and drained off almost 

 immediately, and the specimen then mounted in glycerine 

 jelly. The mount is afterwards closed with Hollis glue 

 (one coat) and gold size (two coats). 



Glycerine jelly is not an ideal medium, but it is to be 



