10 A Monograph of the Myxogastres. 



apical portion usually more or less globose ; the membrane of 

 the plasmodium is continued upwards to form the wall of the 

 stem and sporangium, the protoplasm of the plasmodium passes 

 into the newly formed sporangia, undergoes differentiation 

 frequently resulting in the separation of lime which may form a 

 crust outside the sporangial wall ; spores are differentiated, and 

 generally a surplus portion of the protoplasm takes the form of 

 a more or less complicated network mixed with the spores, and 

 homologous with the strands described as being present in the 

 sporangium of Mucor, inasmuch as both structures are made 

 from a substance separated from protoplasm during spore- 

 formation ; finally, the cell-wall of the spores of the Myxomycctes 

 agrees with that of the spores of fungi in giving a cellulose 

 reaction when young ; as differentiation of the wall proceeds, in 

 common with the spores of fungi, mosses, and ferns, the 

 cellulose reaction is no longer obtained, except perhaps in the 

 inner layers. The above comparison between Mucor and the 

 Myxoniycetes is not introduced with the view of showing close 

 homologies, but to draw attention to what I consider may, at 

 least, be accepted as a series of analogies, which, accepting De 

 Bary's opinion, would, in the present connection, indicate 

 affinities, as we find it formulated that in searching for affinities, 

 "we find it impossible to establish any strict homologies, and 

 we are limited to the observation of resemblances in form, 

 structure, and mode of life." 



I regret to say that I am not sufficiently familiar with the 

 lower forms of animal life to indicate any group presenting an 

 equal number of analogous points with the Myxomycetcs, as have 

 been described above in the fungi belonging to the Mucorini, 

 otherwise I should be too pleased to do so ; it is not my desire 

 to endeavour to force the Myxogastres into filling a preconceived 

 gap in the vegetable kingdom, but simply to analyze the reasons 

 advanced in favour of their exclusion from the plant world ; 

 personally it is not a matter of prime importance whether it be 

 eventually shown that I have been a botanist or a zoologist. 

 It is admitted by De Bary that the wall or membrane of 

 plasmodia, the cell-walls of spores, and various other structures 



