THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 
121 
were found freshly emerging from wood to form sporangia. Such 
were Fuligo septica, Reticularia iycoperdon , and Lycogala epidendrum. 
Owing to the efforts of many hunters, twenty species in all were 
■obtained : the following is the list: — 
Badhamia uiricularis (Bull.) Berk. In small quantity, both in the 
plasmodium stage and as mature sporangia. 
Physarum nutans Pers. Conspicuous masses of the pale grey sporangia 
■of the typical form, with slender stalks, and the more-robust subsp. leu- 
copluBum were repeatedly seen on dead stumps. 
P. viride (Bull.) Pers. One small development was found on a rush 
stalk. 
Fuligo septica Gmelin. The bright yellow cushion-like masses of 
this common species were very showy ; the largest found measured about 
two inches across. When freshly formed, it looks very much like 
<l rumbled egg," as a child remarked. 
Craterium minutum (Leers) Fries. Old. sporangia only were found 
on dead holly leaves. 
Leocarpus fragilis (Dickson) Rost. Two specimens were obtained. 
One showed numerous shining brown sporangia ranged along the stalk 
and leaves of a holly spray ; in this case the plasmodium must have 
travelled at least six or eight inches from its feeding grounds before selecting 
a place for fruiting. 
Didymium squamulosum (Alb. and Schw.) Fries. On dead holly leaves. 
D. nigripes Fries. Abundant, but old, sporangia were found on holly 
leaves. 
Colloderma oculatum (Lippert) G. Lister. Two minute sporangia were 
found by Mr. J. Ross among lichen on the bark of a living hornbeam 
near Chingford. He has noted this species on the same tree since last 
August, as well as on a log not far distant. It may be of interest to record 
that last December I brought home some Colloderma from Theydon forest, 
growing among moss ( Campylopus) on peaty soil about the roots of a 
birch stump, and kept it moist until the following June. From January 
till May fresh sporangia continued to appear, numbering about 180 in all. 
Again in March I brought back moss from the same place ; I could detect 
no sporangia of Colloderma on it at the time, but during April and May 43 
sporangia developed there. This seems to show that we should find this 
species throughout the year if the weather were sufficiently moist. New 
localities for Colloderma continue to be recorded. Mr. W. N. Cheesman 
obtained large and really showy specimens in September 1914 in New 
South Wales ; Mr. N. G. Hadden found it last August on dead wood in 
N. Devon ; Mr. H. J. Howard collected it also in August at the Bridge of 
Allan, Stirling. 
Stemonitis fusca (Roth.). Abundant on stumps in all stages, from 
cushion-like masses of emerging white plasmodium to close clusters of 
mature dark brown sporangia. 
Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroeter. Weathered sporangia only were 
found on fallen sticks. 
C. pulchella (Bab.) Rost. Old and mouldy sporangia were found on 
dead holly and oak leaves, and also on rush stems. 
C. typhoides (Bull.) Rost. Very abundant and in perfect condition 
•about the cavities of old stumps. 
