228 



HARD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



for a subsequent article. The two species of Nebela 

 I will now describe, literally swarmed in every drop 

 of water examined. 



N. collaris, which was the most numerous form, has 

 the shell a compressed pyriform, longer than broad, 

 though the proportion varies considerably in different 

 specimens ; indeed so much is this the case, both in 

 form and constitution, that it is rare to find two 

 specimens exactly alike. I give drawings of a few of 

 the chief varieties I have found, but it would be 

 quite impossible to give them all. Some of the 

 forms I have seen are very obscure, and it is ex- 

 tremely difficult to determine their structure ; this is 

 particularly the case in those specimens which have 

 both plates, diatoms and sand-grains intermingled in 

 varying proportions, in their construction. Although 

 it is one of the characters of the genus that the basal 

 membrane is colourless, I have on several occasions 

 seen specimens of a yellow colour, which yet ex- 

 hibited all the other characters of Nebela. Most of 

 those which came under my observation were either 

 empty shells, or the sarcode was encysted, in the 

 form of a round ball ; occasionally, in the latter 



Fig, 195. — N.flabellujn (large oval plates, regularly 

 disposed). 



case the mouth of the shell was closed by a 

 rude operculum, I presume of chitinoid material 

 mixed with ejected food, generally in layers. The 

 shell itself, has, I take it in all cases, a basal mem- 

 brane, superimposed on, or embedded in which are 

 numbers of silicious plates, round, oval, or rod-like, 

 variously but symmetrically arrayed. These are of 

 different sizes, but this has no sort of relationship 

 with the size of the shell, as a large shell may have 

 small discs, and a small shell large discs. The 

 drawings will give an idea of this variation, so it will 

 be unnecessary for me to enlarge upon this point. 

 The sarcode is colourless, but there are frequently 

 numerous yellow or brown food-balls. The nucleus 

 is impossible to make out, owing to the constitution 

 of the shell, and the coloured food-matters ; but two 

 or three contracting vesicles may be seen in favour- 

 able specimens. The pseudopodia are finger-like, 

 and rarely more than two or three in number, 

 Leidy gives the average size as jJn of an inch long, 

 355 broad, and 3I5 thick j most of my specimens were 

 about that size, though occasional ones were as 

 large as §5, and others as small as the 3!^ in length. 



The other species Nebela Jlabellum, was not 

 nearly so numerously represented in my collection. 

 I do not think that this form ought to have been 

 elevated to specific rank, the only difference being 

 one of general outline ; and I think I have seen a 

 few specimens that fairly connect the two. N'. 

 Jlabelhim is broadly pyriform, or spheroidal, com- 

 pressed, as in the previous species, generally broader 

 than long, though some of the tests are about equal 

 in this respect. There is also a short neck in all the 

 Rossendale specimens. In size, colour, constitution 

 of shell, condition and character of the sarcode and 

 pseudopodia, and in its habitat, like the preceding 

 form, 



N. collaris. Fig, 190, Test composed of irregularly 

 rounded plates evenly distributed over the basal 

 membrane. Sarcode [ with brown food-balls, en- 

 cysted ; a laminated operculum at the mouth. 



Fig, 191, A large, handsome form, of large circular 

 plates, with the intervals fiUed-in with smaller ones ; 

 sarcode encysted. 



Fig. 192. Small empty test, entirely of small, 

 round plates. 





S*=&1 



WcftMi)j(>tiuti'»7J?g'»'e.f 





>\!(if\ 





■'''ffi 



Fig. 196. — N. flabelhim (of yellow chitinous membrane 

 covered with hexagonal pit). 



Fig. 193. Another variety of irregular hexagonal 

 plates, which appeared sunk in the basal membrane. 



Fig. 194. Side-view. 



N. Jlabelhim. ^Yig. 195. Test of large oval plates, 

 regularly distributed ; sarcode with yellow food- 

 balls, encysted. 



Fig. 196. Of yellow chitinoid membrane, cancel- 

 lated, or reticulated, apparently without plates, 



J, E. Lord. 



Raxotcnstall. 



THE WOLF AND THE LAPPS IN SWEDISH 

 LAPLAND, AND INCIDENTALLY IN 

 OTHER PARTS. 



By John Wager, 



IT was remarked once to the present writer by a 

 Lapp, among the snowy mountains of Swedish 

 Lapland, bordering upon Norway, that the reindeer 

 has many enemies. He instanced among the rest 

 man himself ; for, though less frequent than formerly, 

 there are, as he said, men even, besides others, of 

 Lappish race, who do not scruple when opportunity 



