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the Friesian arrangement of fungi, the Myxogastres constitute
one of the two sub-orders of the Gastromyeetes, a position that
was perfectly justifiable when we remember that at the period
in question, external resemblances were accepted as proofs of
affinity; and considering the advances made in almost every
other group of minute organisms due to microscopic research,
it is somewhat remarkable to find that until the year 1864 the
classification of the Myxogastres was based almost entirely on
naked eye, or at most, pooket-lens characters. At the date last
named, the appearance of Professor De Bary’s splendid work on
the present gi’oup ’ completely revolutionized all the pre-existing
ideas as to structure and affinity, and has served as the basis
upon which all subsequent writers have endeavoured to demonstrate
kinship amongst the various sections comprising the
group.
Affinities.
Respecting the nature and affinities of the Myxogastres, we
find the following in Professor De Bary’s last work on the
subject—“ I have, since the year 1858, placed the Myxomycètes
under the name of Mycetozoa outside the limits of the vegetable
kingdom, and I still consider this to be their true position.”
This statement has been generally interpreted, and probably
correctly, as signifying that De Bary looked upon his Mycetozoa
as animals ; hut it would perhaps have been wiser to have stated
this belief point-blank, and to have chosen some other word
than Mycetozoa to designate the group, thereby dispelling any
lingering of doubt as to his meaning. The difficulty is not
lessened by De Bary’s introductory paragraph on the Mycetozoa,
which is as follows—“ The name Mycetozoa is here applied to
a group of fungus-like organisms amounting at the present time
to°nearly three hundred species, the larger number of which,
are contained in the division Myxomycètes or Slime-Fungi (the
Myxogastres of Fries), together with the smaller one distinguished
by Van Tieghem under the name of Acrasieae.
1 Die Mycetozoen (Schleimpilze), (1864).
2 Fungi Mycetozoa and Bacteria; Engl, eel., p. 444.
“ The resemblance of the Mycetozoa to the Fungi is due partly
to their mode of life and nutrition, partly to the close agreement
in structure and biological characters between their organs
. of reproduction and the spores of Fungi. A spore-terminology
corresponding to that of the Fungi will therefore be applied to
the present group.” ’ In the Myxogastres, the life of an individual
consists, under normal conditions, of two very sharply
defined stages; first, the vegetative phase, concerned with
functions tending towards the well-being of the individual;
second, the reproductive phase, concerned entirely with the
continuation of the species. The above quotation not only
shows that De Bary’s reasons for placing the Myxogastres in
the animal kingdom are derived entirely from the vegetative
phase, but what is equally important to note, that the disparity
between the reproductive phase in the Myxogastres and that
exhibited by any of the lower groups of animals is so great,
while “ the close agreement in structure and biological characters
between their organs of reproduction and the spores of
fungi ” are so pronounced, that De Bary was compelled to adopt
the terminology used by fungologists in describing all the parts
belonging to the reproductive phase, and not only the spores;
such terms as sporangium, eapillitium, columella, &o., are used
by fungologists for structures in fungi that are identical in .
function with the structures designated by the same names by
De Bary in the Myxogastres.
Passing to the evidences of affinity afforded by the vegetative
phase, we find De Bary’s idea on this point expressed in the
following quotation-—■
“ The group of the Mycetozoa differs distinctly from the
Fungi which have been the subject of the first part of this book
in all such characteristics as do not belong to all organisms
alike, and the descriptions already given of both kinds of plants
render any further explanation of the point unnecessary; their
connection also with other known plants is still more remote.
The difference would not be less decided if the Mycetozoa were
without their remarkable movements, for such movements are
’ Tom. cit. p. 421.