SLIME FUNGI— MYXOMYCETES 307 



a wall of cellulose, which eventually becomes differentiated, and, 

 as stated by De Bary, " behaves towards reagents in a similar 

 manner to cuticularised plant cell-membranes, and to spore- 

 membranes as in the Fungi. (7) Presenting analogy with 

 undoubted members of the vegetable kingdom, as Hydrodictyon, 

 where the naked motile swarm-cells coalesce to form a caenobium, 

 which eventually becomes invested with a membrane. (8) In 

 the close affinity with Ceratium (but, as Ceratium has been 

 included by some with Myxogasters, this will not carry so much 

 weight). (9) In the coalescence of the naked cells to form a 

 Plasmodium, being the result of conjugation between the com- 

 ponent cells, thus presenting features in common with the 

 primitive forms included in the group Zygosporeae." 



It may be added that, in this country, Mr. Saville Kent, 

 as a zoologist, espoused De Bary's views, and even went beyond 

 him, in his Manual of Infusoria, for he included the 

 Mycetozoa, and suggested their affinity with sponges. These 

 views were contested at the time,^ but really no fresh evidence 

 was produced in support of the views of De Bary, who was the 

 great authority cited. 



The only addition necessary to quote, or allude to, in 

 support of the animal nature of the Myxomycetes, in the 

 vegetative stage, is the evidence of Mr. Lister ; but these obser- 

 vations extend no further than the vegetative stage, and do 

 not furnish any convincing proof that the phenomena are in- 

 compatible with a condition of vegetable organisms, any more 

 than the amoeboid forms in such Algae as the Volvocineae. 



" I have repeatedly seen bacteria taken by swarm-cells of 

 Chondrioderma difforme in the manner described, and it would 

 appear that bacteria form their principal food. On one 

 occasion I had a favourable opportunity for observing the 

 digestion of bacilli on account of the quiescent state assumed 

 by a swarm-cell, which remained with little active movement 

 for an hour and a half On the previous evening I had placed 

 some spores of Chondrioderma difforme in water, under a thin 

 cover -slip; on the following morning swarm-cells were in 

 great abundance in the pure water. I introduced a drop con- 

 taining multitudes of bacilli from a glass in which a piece of 

 ^ "Animal Nature of Myxomycetes," in Grcvillca, vol, ix. (Dec. ISSO), p. 41. 



