and its Reproductive Cells. 47 



In other forms of the Myxogastres, the mother cells shoot up 

 from the surface of the semifluid mass into pin-head or elon- 

 gated-capitulated forms, approximated or isolated, of great 

 beauty, where, as in Diachcea and Stemonitis, there are a central 

 stem and arborescent, reticulated, filamentous branch-works re- 

 spectively, and in Trichia even elaiers. So that the ultimate 

 development of the Myxogastres, however much it may resemble 

 that of Amoeba at the commencement, is much more allied to 

 plants in the termination. 



The varied outward forms of most exquisite beauty, and the 

 brilliant colours, to say nothing of the intricacy of the internal 

 structure, of the Myxogastres (all developed, as they are, from 

 a repulsive-looking slime at the beginning, but, in its polymor- 

 phic power, creeping in long lines, or ramifying in an arbo- 

 rescent anastomosing network, ever changing its shape, and 

 everywhere presenting a rapid circulation of its internal contents, 

 isthm using itself in one part to disunion, and uniting itself in 

 approaching branches in another, through which the incessant 

 flow of granules takes place directly, as though it had been the 

 work of time and trouble rather than produced faster, almost, 

 than the eye can follow the union), make this group of beings, 

 to whatever class they may ultimately be shown to belong, at 

 once one of the most wonderful and the most exquisitely 

 beautiful on the face of the earth. If any one would rightly 

 understand the behaviour of the protoplasm of the plant-cell in 

 all its varied and perplexing movements, he will find the key in 

 the study of jEthalium. 



Like, however, as jEthalium may be to plants in its ultimate 

 development, its sporidium, as M. A. de Bary has shown, splits 

 and gives exit to a mono- or diplo-ciliated polymorphic cell, with 

 contracting vesicle and nucleus, which ultimately losing its cilia, 

 becomes reptant, and, in this condition, cannot be distinguished 

 from a common Amoeba ; and these small Amcebce again grow 

 into larger ones, which, it may be fairly assumed, finally form 

 masses of slimy JEthalium, that may attain many inches in 

 diameter, and reach even a foot in length, before their cell-deve- 

 lopment is completed and their maturity sufficiently advanced 

 for them to gather themselves up into a cake-like, effete mass 

 filled with the chambers (cells) of sporidia to which I have already 

 alluded — living atoms of the old being, left for the multiplication 

 and perpetuation of the species. 



Thus, although yEthalium is an animal in the first part of its 

 existence, it, through Diachcea, Stemonitis &c., and Trichia 

 (which, as just stated, produces elaters among its sporidia), is 

 thus more nearly allied in the structures of its fructification to 

 the vegetable kingdom. 



