138 Natural History Bulletin. 



omously branched and becoming thinner outwardly, occasion- 

 ally anastomosing. 



33. Lamproderma arcyrioides, Sommerfelt. Plate III, 



Figs. 4, 4«, 43 and 4c. 

 Sporangia spherical, stalked. Peridium, thin, violet or 

 bluish, with a metallic lustre. Stipe very short, or reaching a 

 millimeter in height, brown, shining, borne on a distinct hypo- 

 thallus. Columella cylindric, truncate in the globose forms. 

 Capillitial threads white or whitish, repeatedly branched and 

 more or less anastomosing. Spores dull violet, more or less 

 spinescent, .012-.016. 



This species occurs rarely, usually on the bark of fallen 

 logs in undisturbed woodlands. Both short and long-stalked 

 forms have been collected. The plasmodium is at first almost 

 transparent, then amber-tinted, sending up tiny semi-trans- 

 parent spheres on rather stout brownish stalks. The sporan- 

 gia become deeper brown and at length gradually assume the 

 structure and exquisite color of maturity. The rich metallic 

 lustre is very attractive. Metallic steel-blue or " peacock 

 blue " describes perhaps the reflected colors, which, among 

 all the species here described find rival in Diachcea splendens 

 only. The spores are quite smooth in our specimens, but very 

 variable in size. August — September. 



COMATRICHA, Preuss. 



Sporangia cylindrical or globose, not crowded, stipitate, 

 the stipe entering the sporangium and prolonged as a colu- 

 mella nearly to the top. Capillitium made up of branches 

 which arising from the columella repeatedly branch and unite 

 but not so as to form a distinct net at the surface. Peridium 

 a thin evanescent membrane or wholly lacking. 



34. CoMATRiCHA TYPHiNA, Rostafiuski. Plate VI, Figs. I, 



la and \b. 



Sporangia gregarious, distinct and isolated, cylindrical, 



