64 
wished to give them the name of Mycetozoa, as combining the 
characters of animals and Fungi. Other botanists have not been 
convinced by his arguments, relying more on the general accord- 
ance of the bodies we are discussing when mature, than on their 
early state. Several facts seem to corroborate the more general 
opinion ; for instance, De Bary has himself published observations 
on some undoubted Fungi whose spores germinate by means of 
zoospores, such as Cystopus and Peronospora.* and not by 
threads. Again, the taking in and assimilating solid food is 
generally regarded as a proof of an animal nature ; this fact may 
be easily seen in many of the lower animals, but it has never been 
distinctly seen in the motive bodies of Myxogasters. Although 
the spores of the latter sometimes germinate by means of zoos- 
pores, yet such is not always the case ; Mr. Currey has seen the 
spores of Cribraria germinating by threads. We may, therefore, 
safely follow the more general notion, and include Myxogasters 
amongst true Fungi. The Genera in this Order are founded on 
the nature of the peridia and the contained threads which mostly 
resemble those of the Trichogasters, the spores are very similar 
throughout the Order. The spores are globose measuring from — 
the 3-1,000 to the 3-500 of an inch in diameter, composed of a 
simple membrane, smooth or slightly rough or warty, they have a 
thin spot on one side where the zoospore makes its exit, they 
contain a mass of protoplasm with one or two nuclei sometimes 
mixed with oil-globules. 
GENUS 75. LYCOGALA.t MICH. 
Peridium double, papyraceous, externally warty or chaffy, 
bursting at the apex. Flocci delicate, rough at the margin, 
flattish. 
1.—Lycogala epidendrum fr. Sow.t52. Grow.t38. Common 
on rotten wood. This plant is of a fine red colour in its 
* Annales des Sciences Naturelles. Ser. iv., vol. x. p. 236. 
+ Lycogala from lukos a wolf, and gala milk, 
