2 BRANCH PROTOZOA. 



CLASS RHIZOPODA (ri zop'6 da). 



The members of this class are often little more than 

 animated drops of jelly-like protoplasm, which move about 

 by simply thrusting forth a small portion from any part 

 of their body, into which the remaining portion slowly 

 rolls. On meeting with a suitable piece of food, this is 

 taken into the body, by the animal's rolling itself around 

 and over it. 



In many forms, there is deposited around this jelly- 

 like body, a perforated shell, through the holes, or foram- 

 ina (fo ram'i na), of which, projections of the body can 

 be thrust to seize and digest food outside of the covering. 

 Protozoans which are capable of thus thrusting portions 

 of retractile protoplasm from their bodies are called 

 RHIZOPODS (rlz'o^podz), as these extended foot-like portions, 

 pseudopodia (su do po'di a), often have the branched ap- 

 pearance of roots. 



ORDER FORAMINIFERA (fo ram i nif'e ra). 



. The members of this order may, or may not, be pro- 

 tected by a porous shell. Of the latter kind, the Amoeba 

 (a me'ba) inhabits nearly every small body of fresh water, 

 and is often found in great numbers. When observed 

 under the microscope, it is seen to move about and 

 secure its food by thrusting out pseudopodia. One or 

 more contractile vesicles (ves'i klz) and nuclei are gen- 

 erally present, and the more central area is colored by 

 the presence of food granules (gran'ulz). Two Amcebse, 

 while slowly rolling about, may meet and devour each 

 other, and a single animal may voluntarily subdivide and 

 form two individuals. Indeed, this self-fission (fish' an), 



