2 Transactions of the Society. 



very abundant, not only in that area, but in many other localities 

 situated all over the world. A certain measure of superficial 

 similarity which exists between the two forms, has unquestionably 

 led to much confusion in the separate identification of specimens, 

 and as an outcome of this confusion Dr. L. Ehumbler, followed as 

 an authority by other Khizopodists, has endeavoured to prove the 

 identity of the two species with one another. We have found 

 ourselves unable to accept or agree with the deductions of 

 Dr. Ehumbler and his followers, and we shall endeavour in this 

 paper to re-establish the generic and specific divergence of the two 

 forms. 



Saccammina sph^rica, the earlier discovered and described 

 species, first appears in a list of Foraminifera compiled by the 

 elder (M.) Sars, from dredgings made by him off the coast of 

 Norway in a depth of 450 fathoms (830 metres). This list was 

 published in 1868 (1)* but the record was not accompanied by any 

 diagnostic description or figure of the species. The identification 

 of the species referred to by this nomen nudum has, however, 

 since then, been established in two ways. Firstly, the specific 

 name, and the locality from which the specimens were obtained 

 are sufficient, regard being had to our present state of knowledge, 

 to identify Saccammina sphserica with a well-marked type which 

 is abundant in Norwegian waters. Secondly, G. 0. Sars (^) in 

 1871 identified his father's species with specimens collected in the 

 Hardangerfjord (500 fathoms). They are described by him as 

 being " like small hail stones." 



Psammosphxra fusca was first figured and described by Dr. 

 F. E. Schulze in 1874 {3) as follows :— 



" From the mud there were gathered globular forms of 2-4 mm. 

 diameter on which no apertures were observable with the naked 

 eye. Some of them were firmly adherent to small stones, on 

 others a usually very small stone jutted out from the otherwise 

 relatively smooth superficies ; most of them, however, were entirely 

 free, and from every point of view of a more globular, and a uni- 

 formly more smooth superficies. One attached outer shell, rather 



* The figures in brackets refer to the Bibliography at the end of this paper. 



