NUCLEARIA DELICATULA. 11] 



the genera Nuclearia and Heteroplirys. Archer (loc. 

 cit.) described Heteroplirys myriapoda, upon which he 

 founded the genus, as a Heliozoon. His figures accord 

 so closely with undoubted examples of H. rarians 

 in the heliozoon-like phase, that one is almost forced 

 to the conclusion that Heteroplirys myriapoda Archer, 

 H. varians Schulze, and Heliopltrys variabilis Greeff, 

 are separate phases of a single species, which must be 

 regarded as identical with Nuclearia delicatula. 



The habit of what may be assumed to have been a 

 young state of the species under notice (PI. XII, 

 figs. 7, 8), was extremely puzzling. The pseudopodia 

 were mobile, sometimes straight, clustered at various 

 angles of the body, or scattered, curved, and whip- 

 like, changing their position repeatedly and apparently 

 performing the function of tentacles. The movements 

 of these young, comparatively-transparent individuals, 

 reminded one of Vampyrella lateritln in its most active 

 state, but in other respects they differed widely from 

 that species. 



In one form of the species (PL XII, figs. 1, 2) there 

 was an absence of the external envelope, but the 

 movements of the organism were normal. In the 

 heliozoon phase the spherical body gave off a large 

 number of short radiating pseudopodia, composed of 

 clear ectoplasm, with three or four more-conspicuous 

 ones at various points. Only when in active movement 

 could the affinities of this organism be arrived at. 



If further investigation should establish the identity 

 of Heteroplirys myriapoda, Arch., with Nuclearia deli- 

 catula Cienk., Archer's genus Heteroplirys should, it 

 seems to us, be dropped. West, however ('Journ. 

 Linn. Soc.,' Zool., vol. xxviii, p. 337), describes under 

 the name of Heteroplirys radiata, a small, dark-grey 

 heliozoon, possessing an outer colourless gelatinous 

 coat, almost as thick as the diameter of the body, with 

 a finely-fimbriated outer surface, and numerous long 

 and delicate pseudopodia. It has no affinity with 

 Nuclearia. 



