312 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FUNGI 



subsequent elaboration the last two orders are transposed. 

 For the most part the genera are the same as in Eostafinski, 

 with the exception of two or three instances in which con- 

 tiguous genera are amalgamated. 



It must be expected that an evolutionist, such as Mr. 

 Massee confesses himself to be, would have decided ideas as 

 to the evolution of this group. " I consider," he says, " the 

 Myxogastres as illustrating one of the earliest known attempts 

 at differentiation in the direction that has eventually resulted 

 in the mass of organisms constituting the vegetable kingdom ; 

 but having originated from the Flagellatae, a group more in 

 touch with the animal side of life, the work of developing 

 individuality has been slow, as illustrated by the tardy 

 appearance of cellulose cell-walls, which, as would be expected, 

 is most complete in the newly evolved reproductive phase, 

 itself to a great extent the outcome of a gradual change of 

 environment from aquatic to aerial ; but the radical mistake, 

 after having adopted the plant line of development, consisted 

 in the non-development of chromatophores, and retention of 

 the animal mode of nutrition, which in the plant world means 

 parasite or saprophite. The fungi, a later group, differentiated 

 from ancestors that had already evolved the leading plant 

 characteristics, including cell-walls, chlorophyll, starch, hence 

 in this respect are more typical plants than the Myxogastres ; 

 but in the fungi, the check to progress was due to the 

 degeneration of the chromatophores, already evolved by their 

 ancestors, whereas, in the Myxogastres, the check was due to 

 their inability to differentiate these essentials." 



As for ourselves, we are by ho means disposed to dogmatise 

 on any speculations of this kind, which seem to have such a 

 slight' basis of solid fact, and permit such a free scope to 

 inference. Neither are we content to exclude Myxomycetes 

 from Fungi, as the above quotation suggests, since their 

 strongest affinities when mature appear to be with Fungi ; but 

 we confess to a predilection for regarding them as a peculiar 

 and aberrant group, which, by reason of their vegetative phase, 

 do not fall well into place with our present arrangement of 

 Fungi. 



It is incumbent upon us to append a brief synopsis of the 



