290 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 
is notes and observations on botanical subjects are scattered in letters 
to his correspondents. Besides Botany, Meteorology is one of F.’s favorite 
= and wherever he resided, since 1849, he made daily observations with 
regard to it. ‘ 
While at Wilmington F. published a little work entitled ‘The Mechanism 
of the Universe,” and also translated Goethe’s “Faust ” from the German origi: 
nal into the English language. This translation is yet in manuscript form. 
The Myxomycetes—their collection and preservation. 
BY GEO. A. REX. 
_ In the increasing interest manifested by American botanists 
in the study of mycology, the curious and anomalous Myxomy- 
cetes, or slime moulds, have not received the attention which they 
This difficult work of determination is now rendered easier 
by later and more accessible literature, especially by Cooke's 
translation from Rostafinski, of the British Myxomycetes, © 
which at least seventy-five species are also found in the United 
States. 
It is not the intention of this paper to discuss the origin and de- 
velopmental history of the plants or the plasmodium from W ich 
they are differentiated, but simply to suggest a study of interest 
to those whose limited time creates a necessity for specializing 
their work. 
In the proper season in favorable locations, there may be i 
ramifying on the surface of moist, decaying logs, for examp?; 
patches of a semi-fluid slime or plasmodium, varying In s1Z€ ae 
seen 
