206 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



manner of capturing the living C. hirtus by the slow- 

 moving Amoeba. 



The Amcebas are ever moving and changing their 

 forms, so that at no time are there two alike, nor 

 indeed does any one of them retain the same figure 

 for any length of time. Yet there is a similarity of 

 form running through the whole of them — a sort of 

 characteristic family likeness ; and they are very 

 beautiful, when sometimes a dozen of them are to 

 be seen in the field of the microscope at one time, 

 .all moving in different directions, putting forth their 



spines of the A. sol are put forth, as at fig. 131. In 

 this form the A. sol becomes a far more formidable 

 enemy to the C. hirtus than the Amoeba, and, indeed, 

 to every other animalcule in the cell, for if the 

 C. hirtus comes in contact with the spines of the 

 A. sol, it is entangled in them and cannot escape, 

 but are gradually drawn to the surface of the 

 Actinophrys when it is not wholly absorbed into the 

 body, but a transparent gelatinous envelope is thrown 

 round the victim (fig. 131, a), by which it is held while 

 the process of assimilating the contents of the body 



■ <r S 



.,'P;qi-' 



s 





Fig. 131. — Actinophrys-shaped Amoeba, entangling Co!c/>s, &c. 



M 



I 



W 



Fig. 132. — Iufusorian. 



/;■•■■■ V\.\ 



Mm 



s?-ffr'iJ 



*.o .*■*•■:+: ..*.*- ;o,: 



L.y....i/ 



Fig. 133. — Self-division 

 of Coleps hirtus. 



ever-changing pseudopodia, and the continual flow 

 onwards of their granular contents. 



Several Actinophrys sol soon made their appearance 

 in the same cell. I counted over thirty of them. As 

 they increased in number the Amoeba decreased ; and 

 I have reason to think that they are produced from 

 the Amoeba, as several of the Amcebas have been 

 seen to withdraw their pseudopodia and become 

 globular in form, as shown in fig. 123, and finally 

 disappear altogether, as at fig. 124. In this state they 

 remain for some time, after which the tentacles or 



& 



goes on. This is a peculiar feature in the 

 A. sol, which of themselves are very small 

 in comparison to what I have seen, both 

 of A. sol and A . Eichhornii. The latter are 

 large, and are enabled to take into their 

 body infusorians of good size, but these 

 small ones only bring their prey to the 

 surfaces of their body by the agency of 

 their spines. I have seen three of the 

 C. hirtus, each in separate envelopes, 

 round one A. sol{z.$, the two in fig. 131, a). At times 

 three or four A. sols may be seen in conjugation; 

 and in this state as many as nine C. hirtus may be 

 seen held as food by the spines. After awhile the 

 A . sols again separate and withdraw their spines, and 

 each of them divide into two kidney-shape bodies 

 (as at fig. 130). From this form I could not trace 

 them farther, so as to ascertain more changes in their 

 life history. 



Among the various shaped Amcebas was the A. 

 Limax (fig. 134). They are much smaller than the 

 other forms ; their granules are few, but large, and 

 they always travel in one direction (as indicated by 

 the arrows). A number of Amoebae (of the shape at 

 fig. 127) were in the cell at the same time. Some of 

 them have many more pseudopodias than are repre- 

 sented in the sketch, and are much less in size, but 

 they were extended in length to more than twice 

 the diameter of the body, and were gracefully 

 bent in all directions. These were very beautiful 

 objects. Some of the Amcebas, after withdrawing 

 their pseudopodia and remaining stationary for some 

 time, and the centre becoming very granulated (as at 

 fig. 129), would again put forth their pseudopodia, and 



