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Cincinnati Society of Natzcrat Histoyy. 



Wallroth in the Flora Germanica (1833) invented the name 

 Myxomycetes, substituting it for the Triehospermi of Per- 

 soon and Fries; he described the Myxogastres of Fries under 

 the Sections Placogasteres and Angiogasteres. Link, in the 

 Handbook (1833), restricted the term Myxomycetes to nearly 

 the limits of the Myxogastres of Fries. 



Next, Dr. A. De Bary made an elaborate study of the struc- 

 ture and mode of life of the Myxomycetes. He published 

 this in 1859, under the title "Die Mycetozoen," a second edition 

 appearing in 1864. De Bary united the Myxomycetes with 

 a few organisms called Acrasieae under the general title of 

 Mycetozoa. He states, "I have since the year 1858, placed 

 the Myxomycetes under the name of Mycetozoa, outside the 

 limits of the vegetable kingdom." 



Rostafinski, a student of De Bary's at Halle, and again at 

 Strassburg, undertook to recast the system of The Myxomy- 

 cetes in accordance with the views of his master. An outline 

 of the system appeared in 1873 in his Inaugural Dissertation. 

 The fully elaborated system was published in 1875, in a 

 splendidly illustrated monograph, designed to include all the 

 species of Myxomycetes known up to that date. 



The following synopsis of the orders, families and genera 

 of the Mycetozoa is made in accordance with the views ex- 

 pressed by Rostafinski, in the supplement to his monograph 

 (1878). 



MYCETOZOA, 



I. AMAUROSPORAE. 

 Spores violet, or brownish violet. 



§1. ATRICHAE. 

 Sporangia without a capillitium. 



ORDER I. PROTODERMEAE. 



FAMILY 1. PROTODERMACE^E. 

 Genus 1, Protoderma. 



§ 2. TRICHOPHORAE. 

 Sporangia always furnished with a capillitium. 



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