118 The Philippine Journal of Science 1922 
present unsatisfactory data it is useless to attempt to predict 
what the ultimate systematic disposition of these forms will be. 
Therefore, so long as the proper status of each continues prob- 
lematical, it seems more conducive to an early solution of the 
problems to treat them separately. 
MERRILLOSPHAERA AFRICANA (WEST) COMB. NOV. 
The species described by West (’10 and ’18) from Africa 
under the name Volvox africanus was found in such abundance 
and variety about Manila that it seems desirable to reserve 
the description of the Philippine material for another paper. 
There is also in some of my material a form that is in some 
respects intermediate between M. africana and M. carteri that 
will require more study before I can decide whether to treat 
it as a separate species or as a variety or form of M. africana. 
The characters that bring M. africana into the genus are the 
absence of connecting filaments between the somatic protoplasts 
and the large size of the gonidia that are differentiated very 
early in the development of the coenobium. 
The characters that distinguish this species from M. carteri 
are: Coenobia smaller and ovoid; number of cells smaller; goni- 
dia one to four, in pairs, the members of the hinder pair smaller, 
differentiated very early and dividing early, generally before 
the birth of the coenobium and often before the birth of the 
mother coenobium. 
A diagnosis of the species based on West’s description will 
be given after the diagnosis of the other species in a later 
section of this paper. 
DIAGNOSES OF GENUS, SPECIES, AND VARIETIES 
Genus MERRILLOSPHAERA novum 
(Volvocaceae, Volvoceae) 
Body a spherical or ovoid coenobium of biciliate cells which 
contain chloroplasts. The cells appear to lie in the periphery of 
a gelatinous matrix surrounded by a hyaline envelope through 
which the cilia extend. Somatic protoplasts globose or ovoid, 
each inclosed in a thick gelatinous membrane which is more 
or less prismatic inform. No protoplasmic filaments connecting 
the protoplasts. Asexual reproduction by gonidia, differen- 
“This name was first published in a footnote (Shaw, ’19, p. 512) ina 
number of the Philippine Journal of Science that was issued March 30, 1920. 
