yo ANDREWS. 



fall under the term of "slime" which is so freely used in 

 connection with the Protozoa. The granules showed motion, 

 but this was for the moment assumed to be " Brownian," or 

 to be caused by currents from the pseudopodial flow of the 



mass. 



After some moments' absolute rest for the eyes, increased 

 illumination, with better adjustment of the draw-tube, and also 

 some specially fortunate atmospheric conditions, revealed the 

 truth. The creature was surrounded by an evanescent, Gromia- 

 like network of protoplasmic spinnings, in the filaments of 

 which the granules were held. It was the ever-varying posi- 

 tion of the protoplasm of this network carrying the granules, 

 which gave with insufficient powers, the effect of dissolving 

 watery substance mingled with granules in motion. The net- 

 work was in ceaseless flux of form and substance, yet the flow 

 and motion of the organism was in no wise altered from its 

 characteristic manner and appearance by these peripheral phe- 

 nomena. With very little alteration of optical conditions, the 

 whole set of external phenomena would disappear like a dream, 

 and one would see as usual the seemingly smooth and viscid 

 surface of the heavy lobose processes and network. From time 

 to time the spinning phenomena were locally intermitted, the 

 substance returning wholly into the general pellicle, there to 

 be indistinguishably mingled with the peripheral protoplasm, 

 and so, after a while, to return to the endosarc.^ 



In the face of facts of this nature, it is difificult indeed to 

 hold to any faith in surface tension as an adequate explanation 

 of the protoplasmic flow. And these facts are not exceptional; 

 they are peculiarly characteristic of the living substance where- 

 ever its more secret processes can be traced. 



While BUtschli thinks amoeboid flow proper to be physically 

 explicable by surface tensions consequent upon the mere physi- 

 cal form and the argued chemical nature of the substance, he 

 confesses with characteristic candor : " I find myself, despite 

 my best efforts, unable to apply the same explanations to the 

 finer formations, such as free filose formations, of which Gromia 

 furnishes a good example." 



^ See also below, filose activities in starfish egg. 



