380 The Myxomycetes of the United States. 



when present, in all its details. Undoubtedly the leading 

 idea of the classification is the capillitium, or the capillitium 

 and columella, and this should be borne in mind in any 

 attempt which is made to master the details of the scheme. 



The negative features of the method are important to 

 remember in the transition from one system to another. The 

 form of the sporangium must not be relied upon to the fullest 

 extent of the old system ; and, especially in some genera, 

 the presence or absence of a stem is to be regarded as of 

 little moment. Above all, colour, as exhibited in sporangium 

 or stem, must be held as wholly untrustworthy, and this ex- 

 tends equally to the capillitium and spores in the Lamprosporce. 



Some disappointment will probably be felt at seeing so 

 many old friends, formerly designated by distinct names, 

 and each supposed to possess an individuality of its own, all 

 thrown together in such species as Didymium farinaceum 

 and Trichiafragilis. And again, on the other hand, that 

 such minute differences, which require both faith and practice 

 to appreciate, should separate Trichia affinis from Trichia 

 chrysosj>erma. ' These applications of the system, however, 

 do not vitiate the system itself, which undoubtedly must be 

 accepted as a great and thorough reform of the classification 

 of the Myxomycetes. 



It is unnecessary to attempt any controversion of the propo- 

 sition once made, but soon ignored, that these organisms are 

 more intimately related to animals than plants. Although 

 the proposed name of Mycetozoa is still retained by 

 Kostafinski, it is entirely divested of any insinuation in the 

 direction of Infusoria or Rhizopoda. 



This arrangement of the American species was completed 

 before the appearance of Rostafinski's supplement to his 

 monograph, and although all essential corrections have been 

 made, the sequence of orders and genera is that of the mon- 

 ograph. We have appended a synopsis of all the Orders, 

 Families, and Genera, as they finally appear in the Supple- 

 ment. Two of the genera established in the monograph, 



