1921] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 147 



state, it would perhaps give a figure somewhat in the shape of a 

 very thick spoon without a handle. 



In regard to the significance of this tessellated cage, Belar (4), 

 in his chapter devoted to Chilomonas pararnaecium, has studied 

 the subject somewhat at length, and says: ''I should not, as Nagler 

 does, consider these granules as supporting elements (stiitzende 

 Gebilde), but rather apply that term to the fibrillae on which they 

 are set, and whose existence, if not clearly proved, may be inferred 

 from the regular arrangement of the granules, and which in face-view 

 could occasionally be seen indicated in Iron-Hematoxiline prepara- 

 tions. . . . Rather must these granules be considered as rudi- 

 ments of the jelly-trichocysts (Schleimtrichocysten) of the Crypto- 

 monads. . . . Kiinstler's and Ulehla's statement, that, after the 

 crushing of the animalcule, threads come out of the pharynx, which 

 had not been there before, I can confirm myself, a fact, however, 

 which can but very rarely be observed." 



My own observations are also such as to confirm the existence 

 of the ejected threads, I have seen them on three different occasions 

 twice in the living animalcule and once after the action of subhmate, 

 but they are so very thin, so difficult to observe, that I did not, 

 at the time, consider my observations as sure, and I should hardly 

 dare to mention their existence, if my sketches, which date from a 

 time when neither the works of Belar nor those of Kiinstler or Ulehla 

 were known to me, were not in accordance with those of the Austrian 

 observer. 



After these considerations upon these special granules, B^lar passes 

 to a somewhat different subject, which we must also treat of here: 

 ''We might speak now of the superficial "trichocysts" of our Flagel- 

 late. Biitschli was the first to observe them, after him they were 

 described by several authors, lastly by Alexieeff; Dangeard and 

 Nagler do not mention them. They appear as more or less rigid, 

 fine threads from 10 to SO^jl in length, which cover the whole surface 

 of the body. They were mostly found after treatment of the ani- 

 malcules with acetic acid. I have examined living individuals, as 

 well as others treated by acetic and other acids, but without suc- 

 ceeding, either with the simple microscope or by dark -ground il- 

 lumin^ation, in finding anything of the sort. Only after fixation 

 with osmic acid and coloration by Loffler's method for flagella, could 

 I distinguish these elements, but then they were found in every one 

 of the individuals. They do not color intensely, but are sufficiently 

 visible. Each of the animalcules seems to be surrounded by an 



