GENUS PAPIIIDIOPHRYS— RAPHIDIOPHRYS VIEIDIS. 249 



Rnphidiophrys viridis, a remarkable Actinoplirys-like animal, of 

 gregarious habit, was discovered in Ireland by Mr. Archer. From the origi- 

 nal description and figure, it consists of a close aggregation of a number of 

 spherical individuals of a bright-green color, enveloped together in a pale 

 yellowish la)^er of protoplasm pervaded with numerous slightly bent spicula, 

 apparently silicious in character. 



In several instances I have observed Heliozoans which I have sus- 

 pected to be isolated individuals of the above species, but of this I cannot 

 be positive. 



A specimen, from Absecom pond, New Jersey, supposed to pertain to 

 Raphidiopkrys viridis, is represented in fig. 1, pi. XLVI The globular 

 body was composed of a basis of pale, indistinctly granular protoplasm, 

 with a number of bright-green chlorophyl corpuscles scattered through it, 

 together with a smaller proportion of yellow and brown corpuscles. My 

 first impression in regard to the character of these colored corpuscles was 

 that they pertained to the food, and it may be that some portion of them 

 did so. With them I observed a single diatom. A central nucleus was 

 indicated by a clearer round spot, and on each side of the body there 

 was an equally large vacuole, which remained unchanged during the 

 examination of the animal. 



Pseudopodal granular rays emanated from all parts of the body, as in 

 Actinophrys sol. The exterior of the body was invested with a layer of 

 faintly granular protoplasm containing a profusion of delicate linear spicules, 

 slightly bent. The spicules were in general arranged tangentially to the 

 surface of the body and extended outwardly a short distance upon the rays. 

 The body measured 0.09 mm. in diameter, and the longest rays exceeded 

 the latter in length. 



Another Heliozoan, obtained with the preceding and represented in 

 fig. 2, may probably belong to the same species, though exhibiting some 

 peculiarity. The spherical body was composed of a finely granular, color- 

 less protoplasm, containing a central nucleus, a number of vacuoles, and a 

 few colored corpuscles, mostly yellowish and brown, together with a few 

 green single-celled algaa. The surface of the body was invested with 

 spicules arranged tangentially, with a somewhat tufted appearance. The 

 spicules were comparatively coarse, nearly straight or feebly bent, and 



