REPORT ON THE RADIOLARIA. 891 



In the great majority of Nassellaria not ouly is the monaxonial fundamental form 

 expressed, but also the dipleuric or l)ilateral, so that the symmetrical halves of the body 

 may be easily determined ; the riglit and left halves exhibit the same symmetry as in 

 the vertebrates, so that we may distinguish an anterior ventral and a posterior dorsal 

 face of the body. The whole form is in this case determined by three dimensive axes, 

 perpendicular to one another, two of which are heteropolar, the third is homoeopolar. 

 The apical pole of the vertical main axis (principal or longitudinal axis) is difi'erent 

 from the basal j)ole. The ventral pole of the horizontal sagittal axis (or dorso-ventral 

 axis) is different from the dorsal pole. The right pole of the horizontal transverse axis 

 (lateral or frontal axis) is equal to the left pole. Therefore the sagittal or median plane 

 of the body (in which the principal and the sagittal axis are crossed) divides it into 

 symmetrical equal halves and is perpendicular to the frontal axis. 



Three different original elements of structure are recognisable in the majority of 

 Nassellaria, viz., (l) a vertical simple ring, the primary or sagittal ring, placed 

 vertically in the sagittal plane and enclosing the median plane of the central capsule ; 



(2) a basal tripod, composed of three diverging radial rods, which are united on the 

 basal pole of the central capsule and are either expanded horizontally or descend ; 



(3) an ovate or subspherical, simple lattice-shell, the cephalis or capitulum, w^hich sur- 

 rounds the central capsule and exhibits a peculiar structure on its basal pole. 



These three important original elements of structure — the sagittal ring, the basal 

 tripod, and the latticed cephalis — are so united in the majority of Nassellaria that the 

 cephalis rests upon the tripod and includes the sagittal ring wholly or partially. The 

 simplest realisation of this typical union is afforded by the Archiperida and Tripospyrida, 

 and these may be derived from the simpler important Stephanid Cortina (PL 83, fig. 9 ; 

 PI. 92, fig. 21 ; PL 97, fig. 1). In this and in all other tripodal Nassellaria, the three 

 basal rods or the " cortinar feet " are constantly so arranged that an odd or posterior rod, 

 the " caudal foot " [c) is opposed to the two anterior paired rods, the " pectoral feet " 

 (one right, p", and one left, p'). The caudal foot lies in the sagittal plane, and is 

 prolonged upwards into the dorsal rod of the sagittal ring (h), and over this in a free 

 ascending spine, the " apical horn " (a). The curved ventral rod of the ring [r) is 

 united above with the base of the apical horn, below with the common centre 

 of the tripod or the " cortinar centrum." The characteristic position of the central 

 capsule in this skeleton of Cortina is such that its basal pole (with the porochora) 

 rests upon the centre of the tripod, w^hilst its sagittal perimeter is separated from the 

 surrounding ring by the calymma ; the numerous pseudopodia arising from its base 

 diverge downwards and are supported and protected by the three basal feet of the 

 tripod (PL 97, fig- !)• Compare also Pis. 51, 53, 84, 95, 98. 



The typical skeleton of Cortina, a tripodal ring, becomes more developed in the 

 Semantid Cortiniscus, in which the basal parts of the three diverging feet are united 



