1887. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 187 
ical or botanical manuals. Unfortunately, this does not help 
us in the case of the Myxomycetes. e can safely say, 
however, that the more highly developed parasites have not 
been developed from Myxomycetes, and there is very little 
to lead us to believe that parasitic and non-parasitic plants 
_ Were simultaneously developed from primitive protoplasmic 
structures. 
It has already been stated that phenogamic parasites 
should be regarded as degenerate forms of other Phano- 
g Their line of development is not through the para- 
sites of the class of fungi. If one is willing to believe that 
the first parasites were Chytridiacez, or something very much 
like them, from which it is possible some of the filamentous 
Zygosporic and odsporic fungi have been gradually devel- 
oped, he is not, however, forced to believe that such a course 
of development is probable as well as possible. The class 
of fungi is not an homogeneous one. It is rather an assem- 
blage of forms which have certain common physiological 
resemblances, but marked morphological differences. hen 
one regards fungi as a single class of plants, and attempts ~ 
to trace a clear Connection between the highest and lowest 
abate he finds numerous gaps which can not well be 
iM accord with existing facts than any other, and brings ied 
nog y 
Phenogamic parasites may be regarded as derived directly 
Ph 
A om any group of alge would exhibit the character- 
‘ste modes of reproduction. In the sexual reproduction 
