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walls, clilorophyll, 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 chromatophores, already
evolved by their ancestors, whereas in the Myxogastres the
check was due to their inability to differentiate these essentials.
MYXOGASTRES.
Order. P eeiteicheae.
Wall of sporangium not incrusted with lime; capillitium
absent or formed from wall of sporangium.
Sub-Order. Tulndinae. Wall of sporangium not perforated.
Sub-Order. Crihrariae. Wall of sporangium perforated.
Order. Columellifeeae.
Wall of sporangium without lime; capillitium originating
from a central, usually elongated columella.
Sub-Order. Stemonitae. Capillitium springing from every
part of an elongated columella.
Sub-Order. Lamprodermae. Capillitium springing from the
apical portion of a short or elongated columella.
Order. L ithodermeae.
Wall of sporangium with an external deposit of lime;
capillitium present.
Sub-Order. Bidymeae. Threads of capillitium without lime.
Sub-Order. Physarae. Capillitium containing lime.
Order. Caloteicheae.
Wall of sporangium without an external deposit of lime;
capillitium present, not springing from a columella.
Suh-Order. Triciheae. Threads of capillitium free, simple or
branched, not anastomosing to form a network.
Sub-Order.^ Arcyriae. Threads of capillitium either attached
by one end with the free tips more or less branched, or combined
to form an irregular network.
The following diagrammatic arrangement is an attempt to
illustrate my ideas of relationship between the several orders.
The bracketed generic names represent the points of contact
between respective orders, and th e names in italics to th e right
and left indicate those genera th a t illustrate th e maximum
of development characteristic of th e orders to which they are
respectively attached.
Chondrioderma.
Stemonitis.
- - L it h o d e r m e a e ..
/ Diachaea. \
VLamproderma.y
,C0 LUMEI.LIFERAE..
Badhamia.
i
Enerthonenia.
Crihrai'ia.
I
TricJi'ia,
( Siplioty cilium. \
V Tubulina. )
P e r i t r ic h e a e ..
/ Clathroptyi
\ Pericha'
_climm.\
Perichaena. )
_C a l o t r ic h e a e -
Dictydinm.
Arcyria.
In each order we find the special characteristic idea evolving
through a sequence of genera, the terminal one not connecting
with any higher order, hence the special feature terminates
abruptly within the order where it originated, and it is invariably
in some comparatively undifferentiated genus near the
initial point of each order that we meet with the suggestion of
a new line of evolution, which at its maximum of development,
constitutes the characteristic feature of the order immediately