THE ASEPTIC CULTIVATION OF MTCETOZOA. 51 



Stemonitis. 



In July, 1893, another series of flasks containing sterilised 

 milk, 2 per cent, in water, was exposed for a month to the air; 

 they were then closed with cotton and examined. In three of 

 the flasks were flagellate bodies which the writer thought 

 corresponded to the description given by Biitschli (29) of 

 Mastigaraoeba. From these flasks cultures were made, and in 

 one of the transplantations plasmodia developed. At that 

 time the writer had not studied plasmodia sufficiently to 

 recognise the relationship between the zoospores and the 

 plasmodia, and inasmuch as there were similar flagellates in 

 all three flasks, he concluded that the plasmodia and the 

 flagellates were independent forms. Nothing further was 

 done with the cultures until July, 1893, when they were again 

 transplanted, and plasmodia developed in all three cultures. 

 At that time they were cultivated with 2 per cent, of milk in 

 water, and in hay infusion. The zoospores and the plasmodia 

 grew, but there was no formation of sporangia. The cultures 

 were then made in flasks containing hay, with the idea that 

 the plasmodia would be enabled to get out of the water to 

 form the sporangia. Upon placing hay in the flasks a number 

 of cultures formed sporangia. 



All three plasmodia belong to the genus Stemonitis. 



From a study of the sporangia there is no difficulty in 

 deciding that two of them are distinct, while it is not so evi- 

 dent that the third one diff'ers from one of the others, but the 

 writer is inclined to the opinion that it is also a distinct 

 species. The writer is not familiar with the American My- 

 cetozoa, and has not been able to get all of the literature on 

 the subject ; it is possible that they agree with species already 

 named. It will be necessary to refer to each of these cultures, 

 and it will be more convenient simply to designate them as 

 Stemonitis A, B, and C. 



At a variable period after the inoculation of the cultures 

 there appears, rather suddenly, a large yellowish-white Plas- 

 modium lying on the hay at the surface of the water, which 



