ACHORION. 



[ 9 ] 



ACINETA. 



powder of molecular granules in the centre, 

 which exhibit the ' molecular ' movement 

 very actively when the spores are in water 

 under the microscope. Spores of irregular 

 forms are also met with. 



Much has been written by medical authors 

 reearchiis: these bodies, but we shall not 

 enter into this part of the subject here, 

 further than to state that the presence of 

 this vegetable structure seems to be essen- 

 tial and causative in the disease of the skin 

 to which we have alluded. Remak was un- 

 able to make any of the spores germinate in 

 or on animal substances; some however 

 emitted prolongations when placed upon an 

 apple, but the surface then decayed and 

 turned brown within the week, and became 

 covered with mildew {Penicillium gJaucum). 

 One of the entire corjniscles kept upon the 

 arm for several days, fell off without leaving 

 any mark, but a fortnight after afavus began 

 to be developed. Gruby states that he inocu- 

 lated various parts of the body with it, and 

 even caused it to grow upon wood (?). Ben- 

 nett ultimately confirmed the statements of 

 Gruby as to the inoculation. Other authors 

 are mentioned at the end of this article. 



Looking at the structm'al characters of 

 this body, and remxcmbering the fact of the 

 occmTcnce of a true Puccinia in Favus {Puc- 

 cinia Favi, Ardsten), it seems very probable 

 that we have uot to do with a distinct generic 

 or specific form in Achorion, but that these 

 bodies which we have described under this 

 name are neither more nor less than the fore- 

 runners of the Puccinia, the spermagonia of 

 that plant, such as occur in the Puccincei, Cceo- 

 macei and allied tribes of plants. Should 

 this surmise be correct, the so-called recep- 

 tacle of Achorion would represent the sterig- 

 mata, while the " spores" would be the sper- 

 matia, and therefore probably not reproduc- 

 tive bodies. The fact of inoculation does not 

 militate against this view, as fragments of the 

 mycelium would suffice ; while the abortive 

 germination described by Remak as occm-ring 

 so strangely only upon a vegetable structure, 

 is open to doubt. The characters of the 

 spermagonia of the Puccinai will be found 

 under the head of Puccinium, where also 

 the other fimgus of Favus is described. jEci- 

 dium presents analogous organizations as 

 forerunners of the true spore-fiiiits. 



BiBL. Ch. Robin, Vegetaux parasites, 

 Paris, 1853 (with plates, 2nd edit.) ; Bennett, 

 On the Vegetable nature of Tinea favosa 

 {Porrigo lupinosa of Bateman),§-c. ; Monthly 

 Journal of Medical Sciences, 1850 (with 



figures) ; and Trans. Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh, 1842, XV. pp. 227-294 ; Gruby, Me- 

 moire sur la Teigne, Sfc, Comptes Rendus, 

 1841, xiii. p. 72; Sur les Mycodermes, c^c, 

 ibid., 309; Ueber Tinea favosa, Midler's 

 Archiv, 1842, p. 22; Hannover, Bluller's 

 Archiv, 1842, p. 281-95. pi. 15. figs. 7-9 ; 

 Miiller and Retzhis, Midler's Archiv, 1842, 

 p. 192, pi. 8 and 9 ; Lebert, Physiologic Pa- 

 thologique, t. ii. p. 4u, Paris, 1845 ; Remak, 

 Diagnostische und Pathogenische Unters. 

 Berlin, 1845, p. 193-215; Bazin, Rech. sur 

 les Teignes, Paris, 1853, 8vo (plates). 



ACINERIA, Duj.— A genus of Infusoria, 

 of the family Trichodinia. 



Char. Body oblong or lanceolate, de- 

 pressed, the fore-part somewhat obliquely 

 recm-ved like the blade of a sabre ; a row of 

 ciha, du-ected forwards, arising from one 

 side. 



Differs from Trachelitis, Duj., in the ai'- 

 rangement of the cilia and in the anterior 

 curvature ; devoid of a mouth, like Trache- 

 lius, which especially distinguishes the pre- 

 sent genus from Pelecida. 2 species : 



1. A. curvata (PL 23. fig. 1); marine, colour- 

 less; length 1-577 inch. 



2. A. acuta (PI. 23. fig. 2), found in fresh 

 water; length 1-576 inch. 



Dujardin remarks that the latter species 

 appears to have cilia only on the convex mar- 

 gin, whilst he figures cilia upon both margins, 

 those on one side being directed forwards, 

 and those on the other backwards ! 



These species probably belong to the ge- 

 nus Trichoda of Ehrenberg. 



ACINETA, Ehr.— A genus of Infusoria, 

 belonging to the family Acinetina of Ehren- 

 berg. 



Char. — Body stalked ; carapace simple, 

 membranous; tentacles radiant, numerous, 

 not vibrating. 4 species : — 



1. A. Lyngbyei, marine ; body spherical, 

 very pale yellow, stalk thick; length, in- 

 cluding stalk, 1-100 to 1-170 in. 



2. A. tuberosa (PI. 23. fig. 4), in salt or 

 brackish water; body colourless or yellow- 

 ish-brown, triangular when expanded, 1-100 

 to 1-410. 



3. A. mystacina, fresh water; body yel- 

 lowish-brown, rounded, tentacles in two 

 bundles, 1-120 to 1-860. - 



4. A. ferrum-equinum, fresh water; body 

 ovate, colourless, nucleus horseshoe-shaped, 

 1-240. 



Dujardin places this genus in his family 

 Actinophryina, with the following characters : 

 — Body globular or compressed, immoveable. 



