Being Transactions of the S. Afr. Phil. Society. Vol. XVII. 187 



could not at the time be made out. On closer examination, later, it 

 was found that several of these samples were made up almost wholly 

 of a beautiful arenaceous Poraminifera of large dimensions, with an 

 erect robust test, and pinnate in form, measuring from f inch to 

 2 inches or more in height, | inch to ^ inch in circumference, 

 varying in colour from a brick-red to light and dark brown, or bui'nt- 

 sienna, of which in previous samples I had examined I had obtained 

 only small fragments. At two stations, Nos. 593 and 594, lat. 33° 

 50' S., long. 25° 54' 30" E. in 26 fathoms, the samples from both 

 of these stations were found to consist of a mass of this gigantic 

 Rhizopod, sufficient to more than fill a half-gallon measure— enough, 

 surely, to gladden the heart of the most ardent Rhizopodist. 



Here, then, was sufficient material to work out the true character 

 and position ^f the genus Botellina, of which hitherto fragments 

 only had been discovered. I therefore decided to examine all the 

 samples carefully with that purpose in view. The results of my 

 study are depicted in the following pages. 



Notwithstanding the large amount of material on hand, there were 

 still serious doubts as to whether all or any of the specimens were 

 really perfect. 



In the great number afterwards examined, I found that the basal 

 portion of each individual specimen (with three exceptions) showed 

 a true and more or less clean fracture (see tigs. 1, a-h, pi. 1), as 

 if they had been broken sharply off from a basal attachment, 

 showing clearly that they must have been, when living in their 

 natural condition, attached to some foreign body on the sea-floor, 

 or had possessed a large primordial chamber embedded in the 

 deposit to support such a large test ; although diligent search was 

 made nothing of the kind was found, till a sample of deposit 

 obtained off Cape Natal was examined, viz., Station No. 11,074, 

 Gape Natal, N. h W., distant 4^ miles, at a depth of 55 fathoms. In 

 this deposit, composed of a siliceous sand, containing a considerable 

 percentage of shell and coral fragments, amongst which a number 

 of the large Botellina were found, seven large oval, sublenticular, 

 and subangular arenaceous chambers were obtained, showing a 

 prominent elongation or tubular neck at one point, similar in 

 composition, character, and colour to the large fractured, robust 

 pinnate form previously discovered, which at once connected them 

 with the incomplete arenaceous tests or Botellina, mentioned above, 

 as taken in mass at Stations Nos. 593 and 594 ; indeed, with two or 

 three of these chambers it was found possible, with scarce a doubt, 

 to fit the fracture of the neck-like prolongations of these chambers 

 to the fractures at the basal ends of the large pinnate branching 



