HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



201 



reticulations nearly furthest away from the central 

 mass of Biomyxa. At four o'clock in the afternoon 

 the body had contracted in all directions, probably 

 because there was a deficiency of oxygen in the water- 

 supply, for the salts held in solution had formed the 

 usual whitish incrustation round the edges of the 

 cover glass. Spherical nodules appeared on the 

 central body ; the flow of granular matter became 

 very feeble ; and the pseudopodial extensions were 



Fig. 177. — Biomyxa z'agans. 



gTeatly contracted and reduced in number. Fig. 17S 

 represents the organism at this stage ; and before my 

 fourth drawing was completed, two additional small, 

 but growing, nodules, which are not represented, had 

 formed, one at each end, and on opposite sides of the 

 body. 



The micrometric scales which accompany my 

 sketches will enable the student to determine the 

 dimensions of the organism : figs. 176, 177 and 178 are 

 drawn with a power of 250 diameters, fig. 179 with a 



power of 370 diameters. The main mass at 9 A.M. 

 would roughly have been about one-fiftieth of an 





Fig. 178. — Biomyxa vagaiis. 



inch from end to end, exclusive, of course, of the 

 fdaments composing the net-work. At 4 P.M. it 



