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MONOGEÂPH OF THE MYXOGASTRES.
HISTORICAL.
N eglecting the allusions made to members of the present
group by the pioneers of science, we find amongst the earliest
of unmistakable accounts, an essay on the organism popularly
known as “ Flower of tan ”—Ftiligo varians, Rost., by Marchand,
a Frenchman.’- The account, as would be expected, savours
of the mysterious; but it is evident from the name used,
‘Eponge,’ and from certain remarks made, that the author
considered the organism as being most nearly allied to what
are at present considered as members of the animal kingdom.
From this period until within the last thirty years, the Myxogastres
have almost universally been considered as fungi,
and with but few exceptions regarded as belonging to the
GasU'omycetes.
Characteristic figures by early authors occur in the works
of Micheli,^ Gleditsch,^ Schaeffer,^ Bulliard,’’ Sowerhy,“ and
Schrader.’' Fries was the first to clearly grasp the leading
features of the group to which he gave the namemf Myxogastres,
and defined as follows, “ Primitus mucilaginosi, fluxiles.” ® In
’ Sur line végétation particulière qui vient sur le tan. Hist, de Vacad.
roy. des scietices, Paris (ITÎI).
2 Hov. Plant. Gen. (1729). s Meth. Fuug. (1753).
’ leon. Pung. (1762). 5 Champ, France (1791—1798).
8 Fngl. Fnng. (1797— 1809). r Schrad., Nov. Gen. (1797).
« Syst. Myc., iii. p. 67 (1829).