XVI. 



NOTES ON THE PROTOZOA OF HERTFORDSHIRE: SECTION 



PANTOSTOMATA. 



By F. ^Y. Phillips, F.L.S. 



Mead at Hertford, 2Cith Jamiary, 1882. 



The present paper forms the first of a series on tlie Protozoa 

 which I liope to read at various times. 



So many additions to our knowledge of this class have been made 

 during the last ten years that a few prefatory remarks may not 

 be out of place. Great improvements have been made in our micro- 

 scopes ; in the incx'ease of the magnifying power, in the definition 

 of the objectives, in the illumination, and in many other points. 

 Chemistry has come to our aid with new re-agents and tests. The 

 science of Microscopy has become more popular, and has brought 

 many fresh observers into the field who by continuous observation 

 have thrown new light upon subjects hitherto obscure, and have 

 succeeded in dispelling many pre\T.ously-existing errors. 



The consequence of all this is that our knowledge of the Protozoa 

 has in many respects undergone a complete change; the delimitating 

 lines of the group have been more closely drawn, and many motile 

 plants and protophytes have been excluded, as well as many other 

 animals whose higher organization demands an advancement in the 

 scale. On the other hand, a distinct animal organization has been 

 discovered in many organisms previously considered too lowly to be 

 included. During the past year many of us who do not lay claim 

 to any severely scientific knowledge have had to go to school again. 

 Mr. W. Saville Kent has collected into a most compendious and 

 complete ' Manual of the Infusoria,' the writings of all who have 

 treated of the subject, to which he has added his own observations. 

 He has been fortunate to be an early worker in a new field, 

 and being a diligent student and an acute observer has much to 

 show in the way of original work. He has adopted the newest and 

 most approved systems of classification, and we who had educated 

 ourselves according to Pritchard, have had to unlearn much that 

 we had learned, and learn again. So far as my time has permitted, 

 I have followed up these systems, and have devoted some labour 

 to observation. I therefore wish, in the first place, to make it clear 

 to you what the Protozoa are, using this term as synonymous with 

 Infusoria, as afterwards explained. 



There are two or three primary points to be noticed. 



Firstly, the animalcules which compose the sub-kingdom Protozoa 

 are referable to the lowest grade of animal life. 



Secondly, the essential body-substance of all its membei's con- 

 sists of a clear or granular, very transparent, slime-like matter, 

 called sarcode or protoplasm. We will call this the " flesh " of the 

 animalcule. 



Thirdly, the organization of each animal is so extremely simple, 



