1886.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, 347 



menced to put out pseudopods and move away ; and the smaller 

 one moved off with it, evidently engulfed in the larger one, and 

 quiescent in that position. 



The small amoeba occupied a position in the upper part of 

 the larger one. As this last moved on, it seemed to push 

 the small one in an opposite direction from that which its gran- 

 ules were taking, till it reached about the centre of its body. 

 Then it commenced an evident effort to expel the smaller one. 

 It reached out its pseudopods in every direction, graduall}- ex- 

 pelling the smaller one until it was completely discharged. The 

 smaller one, by this time, assumed an almost spherical shape. 



At last the large amoeba ceased moving, and commenced to 

 expel refuse matter such as is common with them. It had 

 anchored itself near some other refuse matter, probably vege- 

 table, and really looked as if it was using it as a sort of grapple 

 for the purpose of ridding itself of the rejected smaller amoeba. 

 It was successful ; for in a few moments it moved away to the 

 upper part of the field, leaving the round ball, looking in every 

 respect like an encysted amoeba, near the little group of refuse. 

 It went on in the field, and we followed it for some time, when it 

 became quiet, and we went back to the encysted one. I watched 

 it to see what would happen next, for it seemed as if there must 

 be some strange sequel to our remarkable observation, and the 

 watching was not in vain. The flat disk commenced by a sort 

 of contractile movement, to throw out particles or granules, as if 

 it were laying eggs. I can think of no other expression, although 

 the particles, while approximate in size, had no regularity of 

 shape. This continued till the amoeba again assumed its clear 

 and transparent appearance, and at last, seeming to fully regain 

 its activity, put out a pseudopod and moved in the field, leaving 

 behind it a group of the particles or granules. Only for a little 

 while, however, did it move ; in a few moments it lost its anima- 

 tion, seemed to become transparent, and at last faded into one of 

 those disks which seem to be merely the shells of once active 

 forms. I did not see it move again. 



This observation was carried on continuously during two 

 hours and a half, and every stage watched most closely. I was 

 at a loss what to call it, if not a clear case of conjugation and 

 separation. 



