DE BARY, ON THE MYCETOZOA. 99 



cellular substance. These waxy bodies change back again into 

 the ordinary sarcode threads under heat and moisture, and 

 Dr. De Bary considers that, by passing into this waxy cel- 

 lular state, the sarcode threads are enabled to retain their 

 vitality during dry hot weather, and through the winter. 



In speaking of the ordinary spore-formation, the author 

 states that the formation of spores in the Mycetozoa always 

 takes place by division of the plasma around previously- 

 formed nuclei, and never directly from the threads of the 

 capillitium. He alleges that Berkeley's observations on 

 Enerthenema are incorrect, and doubts also the accuracy of 

 the latter's account of the structure in Badhamia ; admitting, 

 however, that he (Dr. De Bary) is not acquainted with the 

 latter genus. 



The history which is given of the germination of the 

 spores of the Myxoniycetes is of considerable interest, and 

 has been confirmed to some extent by the observations 

 of Hoffmann in the ' Botanische Zeitung/ for June 17, 

 1859. When placed in water, and protected from evapora- 

 tion, the membrane of the spore opens, and its contents 

 escape in the form of a cell, clothed only by a very thin pri- 

 mordial utricle, thus resembling the reproductive cells of 

 many alga?. These escaped cells undergo changes of form, 

 eventually exhibiting one or two cilia, and two or three 

 vacuoles, of which one at least always pulsates. They have 

 also a motion of progression and rotation, as in the case of 

 ordinary zoospores. 



After a few days, bodies appear, differing from the zoospores 

 in their larger size, the greater number and irregular dispo- 

 sition of the vacuoles, the want of cilia, and of oscillating and 

 rotating movements, and by the protrusion of parts of the 

 body, precisely as in the Amsebse ; like which they have also 

 a creeping motion, and are perpetually changing their form. 

 The author states that these singular bodies are not inde- 

 pendent productions, but that they are produced from the 

 zoospores, and that by the further development of them, 

 the spore-cases are eventually formed. He says — 



" If, therefore, on the one hand, the development of Amcebce 

 from the products of the germination of the spores, and, on 

 the other, the production of the sporangia from the sarcode- 

 threads, which, as regards structure and movements, might 

 be described as colossal filamentary Amcebce, be established, 

 it is an obvious conclusion that the latter arise from the 

 farther development of these Amabts. And this has been 

 confirmed by direct observation in jEthaHum septicum, 

 Lijcogala, and Stemonitis obtusata Direct develop- 



