THE MYXOSPORIDIA, OR PSOROSPERMS OF FISHES. 93 
EXIT OF THE SPOROPLASM. 
This, the last phenomenon of the spore stage, was first observed by 
Lieberkiihn,' who described the process as seen in Myxobolus sp. 65. 
He also figured it as occurring in M. sp. 44. Gabriel? also describes 
(but in a somewhat different way, and possibly erroneously) the freeing 
of the sporoplasm in Myvidium lieberkiihnii. It was also observed by 
Balbiani? in Myxobolus ellipsoides, and recently it has been confirmed 
by Pfeiffer* and by Perugia.° 
Biitschli,® however, entertains some doubt as to the supposed sim- 
plicity of the life-history based upon these observations. His objections 
are chiefly that this view leaves no function for the capsules to perform. 
As indicated above, this exit appears only to take place at a (for the 
capsules) post-functional period, 
III—ZOOLOGICAL POSITION. 
Gluge’ regarded the spores of Glugea anomala as crystals modified 
by an unknown cause. He says: 
It is known from the researches of M. Ehrenberg that the silvery color of fishes 
is produced by a great number of corpuscles of a crystalline structure and a form 
cylindrical and a little recurved. It appears to me extremely probable, from all 
that precedes, that the corpuscles contained in the cysts are only the erystals of the 
normal state, but changed by an unknown cause. 
Miiller* regarded the Myxosporidia as agreeing neither with the sper- 
matozoa nor with the germs of developing animals, nor with the tailed 
Entozoa or Cercarie, and as deviating equally in structure from the 
known fungi parasitic upon animals; finally, through their form, struct- 
ure, development, specific distinctions, and absence of motion, they 
deviate from all known normal and pathological cell formations. This 
observer’ bestowed upon these anomalous forms the name of ‘“psoro- 
sperms,” recalling both the cutaneous “eruption” produced by them 
and the resemblance of. the tailed spores to spermatozoa. 
The credit of first suggesting a definite zodlogical position for the 
subelass is due to Creplin." It will be seen that he was the originator 
of what may be called the “ gregarine theory.” 
1Muller’s Archiv., 1854, p. 354; Bull. Acad. Roy. Belg., 1854, xx1, pt. 2, p. 21. 
2 Jahres-Ber. schles. Ges. vaterl. Cultur f. d. J. 1879, Lvu, p. 192. 
’Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 1863, Lv, p. 160. 
4Die Protozoen als Krankheitserreger, 1890, 1 ed., p. 47; 2 ed., 1891, p. 183. 
5 Boll. Scientif., Pavia, 1891, x11, p. 23. 
6 Ztschr. f. wiss. Zool., 1881, xxxv, pp. 637-8; Bronn’s Thier- Reich, 1882, 1, p. 595. 
7 Bull. Acad. Roy. Belg., 1838, v, p. 776. 
8 Miiller’s Archiv., 1841, pp. 487, 488. 
9 Mlle Leclercq (Bull. Soc. Belg. de Microsc., 1890, xv1, p. 100) erroneously attrib- 
utes the name to Gluge. 
10 Derivation furnished by Balbiani (Journ. de Microgr., 1883, vu, p. 145) as follows: 
wwpa, mange; onepua, seed. 
4 Wiegm. Archiy. f. Naturgesch., 1842, 1, pp. 65, 66, 
