THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
121
were found freshly emerging from wood to form sporangia. Such
were Fuligo septica, Reticularia lycoperdon, and Lycogala epidendrum.
Owing to the efforts of many hunters, twenty species in all were
obtained : the following is the list:—
Badhamia utricularis (Bull.) Berk. In small quantity, both in the
plasmodium stage and as mature sporangia.
Physarum nutans Pers. Conspicuous masses of the pale grey sporangia
of the typical form, with slender stalks, and the more-robust subsp. leu-
copha-um were repeatedly seen on dead stumps.
P. viride (Bull.) Pers. One small development was found on a rush
stalk.,
Fuligo septica Gmelin. The bright yellow cushion-like masses of
this common species were very showy ; the largest found measured about
two inches across. When freshly formed, it looks very much like
"rumbled egg," as a child remarked.
Craterium minutum (Leers) Fries. Old sporangia only were found
on dead holly leaves.
Leocarpus fragilis (Dickson) Rost. Two specimens were obtained.
One showed numerous shining brown sporangia ranged along the stalk
and leaves of a holly spray; in this case the plasmodium must have
travelled at least six or eight inches from its feeding grounds before selecting
a place for fruiting.
Didymium squamulosum (Alb. and Schw.) Fries. On dead holly leaves.
D. nigripes Fries. Abundant, but old, sporangia were found on holly
leaves.
Colloderma oculatum (Lippert) G. Lister. Two minute sporangia were
found by Mr. J. Ross among lichen on the bark of a living hornbeam
near Chingford. He has noted this species on the same tree since last
August, as well as on a log not far distant. It may be of interest to record
that last December I brought home some Colloderma from Theydon forest,
growing among moss (Campylopus) on peaty soil about the roots of a
birch stump, and kept it moist until the following June. From January
till May fresh sporangia continued to appear, numbering about 180 in all.
Again in March I brought back moss from the same place ; I could detect
no sporangia of Colloderma on it at the time, but during April and May 43
sporangia developed there. This seems to show that we should find this
species throughout the year if the weather were sufficiently moist. New
localities for Colloderma continue to be recorded. Mr. W. X. Cheesman
obtained large and really showy specimens in September 1914 in New
South Wales ; Mr. N. G. Haddon found it last August on dead wood in
N. Devon ; Mr. H. J. Howard collected it also in August at the Bridge of
Allan, Stirling.
Stemonitis fusca (Roth.). Abundant on stumps in all stages, from
cushion-like masses of emerging white plasmodium to close clusters of
mature dark brown sporangia.
Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroeter. Weathered sporangia only were
found on fallen sticks.
C. pulchella (Bab.) Rost. Old and mouldy sporangia were found on
dead holly and oak leaves, and also on rush stems.
C. typhoides (Bull.) Rost. Very abundant and in perfect condition
about the cavities of old stumps.