Ecology and Phenology of Surrey Mycetozoa. yy 



occurrence ever^'' year from December to April, on bramble 

 stems and wood of rhododendron, \\illo\v, laurel and pine. 



*i2y. Dianema depressum Lister. I have never been successful 

 in finding this on its favourite haunt, on ash sticks. I have even 

 collected ash sticks in various stages of decay, and kept them 

 in long wet grass for several ^-ears, examining them regularly, 

 but " m\-xo-traps " are not usually successful. I did, at last, 

 come across this species but only once; in March 1921 I found 

 some five or six sporangia on a beech stick King deep in beech 

 leaves, under a low-gro\\"ing box bush — just the place where 

 I was hoping to find Lamproderma atrosporum Meyl. var. 

 angUcum G. Lister and Howard. I have yet to meet the latter 

 elusive species although I have turned over bushels of beech 

 leaves. 



*I2S. Prototrichia metaUica Mass. has been gathered at Wey- 

 bridge, on the bark of a fallen laurel branch in November, and 

 on dead bramble stems in December. 



The devotees of the Mycetozoa are few in number, but that 

 is possibly because others do not realise what an absorbingly 

 interesting study they make. No other could be more truly called 

 an all-the-vear-roimd hobby than this form of recreation, which, 

 from the multifarious habitats of these Httle creatures, may be 

 indulged in almost an^•where. I have lifted the snow to find 

 Lamproderma scintillans, Craterium minutum and Didymium 

 squamulosum; I have seen the httle gold specks of Tr. lutescens 

 shining through the icy coating of a rotten alder branch; in 

 dripping rain, but clad accordingly, I have collected Tr. alpina, 

 Margarita and CoUoderma, and under a burning sun Lycogala 

 flavofuscum, AwMnrochaete and Fidigo; even the bleak \\-inds 

 of March and April fail to prevent the appearance of Dianema 

 depressum, Diderma asteroides and Lamproderma anglicum. 



Apart, however, from the physical and intellectual benefits, 

 one must not forget to mention the social advantages, for the 

 study of the Mycetozoa has introduced me to a number of 

 fellow enthusiasts whom I am proud to rank among my very 

 best friends. Surely, ^^-ith such a hobby, one need never know 

 a dull moment. 



