LISTER : THE HAUNTS OF THE MYCETOZOA. 
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dung pellets of rabbit, roe, and fallow deer, in Germany and 
Denmark, and on old cow-dung in Florida. Cribraria violacea 
has been found on pig-dung, by Prof. Thaxter, in Florida. 
Lowland Pastures and Lawns form the haunt, in favour¬ 
able seasons, for a few species which may then occur in great 
profusion. One summer the creamy white masses of MucilagO' 
spongiosa were so conspicuous in Yorkshire pastures that they 
attracted the attention of farmers, who feared lest their grazing 
horses might be poisoned by the strange substance ; their 
fears were, I think, groundless. In Wanstead Park, when 
a dry summer had been followed by heavy rains, the turf by the 
tennis courts was seen to be adorned with scores of little orange 
mounds, which on close inspection were found to consist of 
clusters of immature sporangia of Badhamia folhcola. Another 
example of an unusually large development of one of the Myce- 
tozoa on grass was given me by a Canadian correspondent ; 
some of the small grey sporangia of Physarum cinereum had been 
sent him by a man who wanted to know what it was that was. 
disfiguring his lawn ! 
Alpine Pastures. —These form a very attractive habitat 
for Mycetozoa, many of which are seldom met with else¬ 
where. Above the level of the fir woods, these open pastures, 
of the alps extend mile after mile, girdling the mountain heights. 
Full summer will clothe them with a glory of alpine flowers ; 
but, when the winter snows first retreat, the turf is left flattened 
and brown, starred only here and there with the earliest lilac 
and white crocuses and with pale purple Soldanellas. On 
these bare slopes may often be seen from afar (that is, several 
yards away) white clusters of Diderma niveum, D. Lyallii, and 
pale grey Physarum vernum, scattered over turf, dwarf willows* 
and even on stones. More close scrutiny is needed to detect 
Diderma Trevelyani , whose round sporangia look like little 
brown seeds, until they expand and assume the appearance of 
minute Earth-stars. Lepidoderma carestianum is a treasure 
that matches perfectlv the grey silt left everywhere by the 
melting snow, and the dark alpine form of Trichi a contorta may 
easily escape observation unless the sporangium-walls break 
and reveal the golden spores. 
On the lower slopes, where the pale withered stalks of the 
Spiny Thistle (Cirsium spinosissimum) still stand or lie about* 
