504 LIST OF THE FRESHWATER RHIZOPODA OF N.S.W. 



This species is very common on Nitella and other fine-leaved 

 plants. I have found it in plenty in nearly all the places I have 

 visited in search of aquatic life. Australian specimens appear to 

 be more luxuriant in their growth than European or American 

 examples, the branched or compound state being the most 

 prevalent, whilst the solitary form is rare. 



Order III. FORAMINIFERA. 



Biomyxa, Leidy. 



B. vagans, Leidy, F. Rhiz. N. Amer. 281, pis. xlvii, xlviii. 

 figs. 5-12, and in Proc. Ac Nat. Sc. Phil. 1875, 124. 



A few months ago this species was fairly abundant in my 

 aquarium. I saw altogether about 20 specimens, many of which 

 I examined with great attention. When first placed on a glass 

 slip it often assumes a spherical shape, and remains motionless 

 for some time. Then all at once it begins to send out pseudo- 

 podia from all sides, but ultimately they appear chiefly at the 

 ends of the main body of protoplasm. The ramifications, extreme 

 tenuity, and rapid movement of the pseudopodal processes are 

 really marvellous. It is a difficult matter to trace out the actual 

 termination of the branches, on account of their tenuity and 

 ever changing movements. The whole organism looks like an ani- 

 mated spider's web. I have often noticed rounded masses at some 

 distance from, but connected with, the main body by very slender 

 threads. In these masses there was a continued rotation of the 

 granular protoplasm around a large non-contractile vacuole. 

 The time during which this semi-isolation continued, varied con- 

 siderably, but in one instance it lasted for over an hour. When 

 the return movement commenced the granular matter was con- 

 veyed away first, and afterwards the large vacuole broke up into 

 a number of smaller ones, which moved away in quick succession, 

 and were finally merged into the main protoplasmic body. The 

 vacuoles are very numerous, and they move about in all directions 

 with the granular protoplasm. A spherical granular nucleus was 

 seen in several specimens. 



