205 



length and fe0 V^ th inch in breadth, i- hyaline and exhibit- several 

 vacuoles, and in addition to the appendage is provided with a single 

 long powerful flagellum flanked on each side by a stiff bristle. 



From the general appearance of this organism it is almost 

 impossible to avoid the inference that some kind of gemmation is 

 here in progress, although no change was remarked during the 

 short time that the monad was under observation (about fifteen 

 minutes), and the matter is brought to your notice in the hope 

 that some member of the Club who has made the study of the 

 smaller infusoria a speciality may be able to throw some further 

 light on the subject. As a rule, such books as I have read, while 

 fully and accurately describing large and coarse forms the details 

 of which are fairly obvious under objectives of small numerical 

 aperture used in a rough-and-ready fashion, are by no means so 

 explicit regarding the host of small varieties whose most inte- 

 resting feature- and evolutional-}' processes can only be demon- 

 strated by good and careful observation with th.- best appliances. 

 It would seem that there is a boundless field open in this 

 direction for any observer whose tastes incline him to grapple 

 with questions which others have evaded through a preference 

 for easier paths, although it is of course not intended to include in 

 this category a limited number of biological microscopists whose 

 practice has ever been to shirk no difficulties in the pursuit of 

 knowledge. 



Mr. Rousselet said that the form observed was apparently one 

 of the " collared monad- " which had very hyaline collar.-. 



Mr. D. J. Scourfield agreed with Mr. Rousselet, and said that 

 one did get the appearance of setae, produced by the sides of the 

 very fine funnel. Early figures always represented the "collared 

 monads " with two spines instead of a funnel. 



The following communication has been since received from 

 Mr. Merlin in reply to the remarks of Messrs. Rousselet and 

 Scourfield : 



" It having been suggested that the organism above figured 

 and described may be one of the 'collared' infusoria, and that 

 the two spine.- at the posterior extremity of the body are the 

 edges of the imperfectly seen collar, the rest not being visible 

 under the optical combination employed, I venture to point out 

 that the observations were made under strictly critical conditions 

 with a fine Powell objective of measured N.A. 1*27, used in 



