100 DE BABY, ON THE MYCETOZOA. 



mcnt of the fructifying threads from tlie Amaebae, produced 

 by the growth of the zoospores, appears to me beyond a 

 doubt. And, in accordance with this assumption, is the fact 

 of the frequent occurrence of common Amaebae (radiosa, verru- 

 cosa, Ehr.) in tan, rotten wood, &c, the habitats of the Myce- 

 tozoa. It remains doubtful, however, whether the sarcodc- 

 thrcads, which directly form the spore-cases, are the product 

 of a single Amaeba, or arise from the confluence of several." 



Dr. De Bary lays some stress upon the fact that the Mycc- 

 tozoa, when in the amaeboid condition, exhibit in the sub- 

 stance of their bodies (like the aquatic Amaba) solid matter 

 taken in from without, such as cells of algae, spores of fungi, 

 &c. He says that if these " ingesta " can be considered to 

 be food, the fact would establish the animal nature of the 

 Mycetozoa, because, if an organism eats, it must be an 

 animal. He admits, however, that there is no proof that 

 the ingesta are food, and that there is nothing to show that 

 they may not find their way accidentally into the bodies of 

 Amaeba, as Divjardin has suggested. Considering, however, 

 that the movements of the Amoeba resemble those of Acti- 

 vo/j/rrys, and that the movements of Actinoplrrys are cer- 

 tainly made in quest of food, the author considers it pro- 

 bable that the aquatic Amoeba and the amoeboid Mycetozoa 

 do really cat. 



After noticing the affinity of the Mycetozoa with the Si- 

 phoneae and Saprolegnieae, especially with Pythium amongst 

 the latter, Dr. De Bary says — 



" But, notwithstanding all these analogies, and even as- 

 suming that the vegetable protoplasm in its composition 

 and movements is closely allied to sarcode ; assuming also, 

 that many plants, whilst in the condition of zoospores, 

 have the capacity of spontaneous locomotion, and arc also 

 contractile; assuming also, that the difference in the move- 

 ments of the Mycetozoa and of divers plants is only quanti- 

 tative; nevertheless, free motion exists in the Mycetozoa 

 with an intensity and duration unequalled in any plant .... 

 .... We should be content to leave the Mycetozoa in the 

 vegetable kingdom if nothing analogous to them could be 

 found amongst animals. But, inasmuch as their structure, 

 their mode of life, their motion from the time of the appear- 

 ance of the zoospores accord most fully with those ol'eerlain 

 animals; inasmuch also as the perfect sarcode-threads hardly 

 differ, except in size, from the sarcode-threads of the llhi/.o- 

 poda, the result is that the f Mi/.romi/cc/c.s ' must take 

 their place as ' Mycetozoa'' in the animal kingdom." 



In the above remarks, wc have given what we believe to be 



