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being the Aquatic Fungi, such, for example, as Saprolegnia, the 
Fungus of the Salmon disease, which both in structure and mode 
of development much resembles a fresh water Alga, like Vaucheria, 
allowing, of course, for the absence of Chlorophyll in the former. 
The physiological similarity lies in the fact of both having a sexual 
method of propagation as of primary importance, and a gonidial 
or asexual method as of secondary importance. 
In the more well known forms of Fungi, however, what was 
the secondary method of Reproduction in the previous group 
becomes the primary, and ultimately, the sole method of Repro- 
duction, the sexual process being entirely abolished and the 
framework for supporting the gonidial or asexual spores being 
more and more elaborated. This process reaches its highest 
development in the Agaricinex, as, for example, in the common 
mushroom, the stem and cap of which seem entirely constructed 
for the support and distribution of the spores: this is character- 
istic of the whole of the great group of the Hymenomycetes. 
Occupying an intermediate position as regards method of Repro- 
duction stands the important group of the Ascomycetes, of which 
the Pezizz are one of the great families. This beautiful family is 
well represented in Mr. Baker’s collection, nine fresh species being 
recorded, some of them being very small, but all of them 
attractive in appearance. 
The curious group of the Myxogasters, also well represented in 
this collection, eight species having been found, is now regarded 
as allied to, but not necessarily belonging to, the Fungi. The 
principal reason for this distinction lies in the remarkable vege- 
tative phase characteristic of the early stage of existence of all 
the various species of the group. The organism then consists 
of a mass of naked protoplasm, which creeps about amongst 
decaying wood and vegetable matter in search of food which it 
surrounds and absorbs. This is at length followed by the repro- 
ductive stage when a portion of the protoplasm becomes hardened 
into a spore case and the rest into spores, often mixed with 
