THE MVXOMYCETES OF PICTOQ COUNTY. MOORE. 179 



In the foregoing account of the group I have refrained from 

 discussing the vexed question as to whether these organisms 

 should be assigned to the animal or to the vegetable kingdom ; 

 whether tihey belong to the province of the zoologist or the botan- 

 ist. This question does not appear to me to be one of very great 

 moment. All students agree that the group is a terminal one 

 and distinct from the main line of development of plants and 

 of animals alike. " The most characteristic morphological 

 peculiarity of the plants/' says Huxley , tl is the investment of 

 each of its component cells by a sac, the walls of whicih contain 

 cellulose or some closely analogous compound ; and the most 

 characteristic physiological peculiarity of the plant is its power 

 of manufacturing protein from chemical compounds of a less 

 complex nature." 



" The most characteristic morphological peculiarity of the 

 animal is the absence of such cellulose investment. Tthe most 

 characteristic physiological peculiarity is the want of power to 

 manufacture protein out of simpler compounds." 



Applying the foregoing as criteria it is clear that the 

 Myxomycetes in their vegetative phase shew undoubted affini- 

 ties with the lower animal forms while in tlheir fruiting phase 

 plant characteristics predominate. 



The view as to their true position in the world of organized 

 things which seems to commend itself most is that formulated 

 by Shroter. " At the same point where the Schizomycetous 

 series takes rise, there began certain other lines of development 

 among the most primitive protoplasmic masses. Through the 

 amoeba one of these lines gave rise on the one hand to Rhizopods 

 and Sponges in the animal kingdom ; on tiie other hand to the 

 Myxomycetes among the fungi." 



MYXOMYCETES (Link) deBary. 



Organisms destitute of chlorophyll of which the vegetative 

 phase consists of a naked mass of protoplasm. Reproduction 

 takes place by means of spores which are produced either (1) 



