THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 7 
have been classified under various names, derived from the 
Greek language, such as Mycetozoa, Myxomycetes, Myxo- 
gastres, and Myxothallophyta. They are more commonly 
known as ‘‘Slime Fungus,’’ while others have adopted a 
pet name and called them “‘Myxies.”’ 
They are characterised by the constant sequence of 
three main stages in their life-history, namely :— 
‘ (1) The firm-walled spore gives birth to a swarm-cell. 
(2) The swarm-cells coalesce to form a wandering 
plasmodium. 
(8) The plasmodium ultimately concentrates to form 
either sporangia, enclosing numerous spores (En- 
dosporeae), or sporophores, bearing spores on 
their outer surface (Exosporae). 
They appear to be an intermediate group of living 
organisms which, during the early or plasmodia-stage, 
somewhat resemble minute Amaebae, and when mature are 
very similar to fungi. Many species are quite common, and 
are found usually on the decaying bark of logs or on fallen 
branches in the deep gullies around Sydney, or on decaying 
leaves, bark, manure, or grass in gardens or parks. One 
of the most common species in this state is Physarum cine- 
reum, which, during the months of December and Janu- 
ary, attracts a good deal of attention throughout the State. 
It occurs usually in patches varying in size from one to 
five feet in diameter, and creeps over various kinds of 
plants, such as ‘Couch Grass (Cynodon dactylon), ‘‘Buf- 
falo Grass (Stenotaphrum americanum), ‘‘Flat-Weed’’ or 
‘“‘Walse Dandelion’’ (Hypochaerts radicata), and others. 
Another species which is fairly common is the so-called 
‘“<Mlowers of Tan’? (Fuligo septica). This latter species 
does not occur, as a rule, in such large patches as phy- 
sarum cinereum, but the plasmodia-stage, which is usually 
of a canary-yellow colour and somewhat resembles the yolk 
of an egg that has been squashed or broken, occasionally 
spreads to an alarming extent on tan-beds, in hot-houses, or 
frames. In some countries Spumaria alba shows itself in 
great masses, and sometimes proves indirectly injurious to 
plant-life, as its plasmodium often creeps up the stems of 
living plants and forms spore masses up to two or three 
inches in length and an inch or more wide. When pro- 
duced in considerable quantities, the dense masses of 
spores are said to injure vegetation by a process of suffo- 
cation. It is on record that both Physarum cinereum and 
