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author has truly said, when describing the amoeba, "its shape 

 is nondescript, it has neither mouth, teeth, fins, claws, hands, 

 nor feet, properly so called, yet it is able to perform the func- 

 tions of each and all of these members most efficiently, or 

 rather it is endowed by the Creator in such a manner that it 

 can dispense with them all, and yet fulfil its destiny in the 

 economy of nature." These creatures are also remarkable for 

 grasping, and folding themselves around other animalcules. In 

 the same water there was also a number of the colep hirtus 

 (Fig. 1, a). I have seen them place themselves in front of the 

 amoeba directly in the path that it was slowly travelling (Fig. 1, 

 a). They appear to tear the gelatinous envelope of the amoeba 

 and extract the granules moving in that direction, which at times 

 may be seen to pass into the body of the colep hirtus as food. 

 After feeding for a time it would leave the amoeba which would 

 proceed on its journey forward without apparently sustaining any 

 damage from the attack. As the colep hirtus is a very quick 

 and fast-moving creature it did not appear possible that the 

 amoeba could capture it as prey, yet I had seen several instances 

 where it was found in the interior of the amoeba as food, I con- 

 cluded at the time that this must have taken place after the death 

 of colep hirtus, but on May 7th I saw that a large amoeba had 

 taken into its body a living one, and had entirely surrounded it, 

 (Fig. 2, b). It was struggling to escape by rapidly revolving on 

 its long axis, as it could not move either backward or forward ; 

 in a few minutes it suddenly ceased to move or exist, and 

 evidently became the food of the amoeba, and was dissolved or 

 digested, the oval shape and outline of it remaining visible for 

 some time in the amoeba. The darker colour of the colep hirtus 

 was however soon gone, evidently assimilated by the amoeba, 

 and rendered as translucent as itself. Since this I have observed 

 the colep hirtus feeding on the amoeba; they really appear to be 

 aware that it is dangerous to remain too long doing so. Several 

 times I have seen the amoeba while the colep hirtus was intently 

 feeding on the centre or front (Fig. 5, c), send forth two power- 

 full processes one on each side (Fig. 5, cc) and inclose the colep 

 hirtus in its folds. Sometimes the colep hirtus has remained in 

 that position (Fig. 5, d) until there was but just sufficient room 

 to escape by withdrawing backwards, but woe to it if once the 

 processes close round it (Fig. 2, b). This observation proved to 

 me the manner of capturing the living and fast swimming 

 colep hirtus by the slow moving amoeba. This act of the amoeba 

 in throwing out processes in order to get possession of the 

 colep hirtus, shows a certain degree of intelligence (if I may so 

 speak) that appears marvellous in creatures so low in the scale of 

 animal life. After a little time a number of sun animalcules 

 (actinophrj'S sol) made their appearance in the same cell and 

 water. I counted over 30 at one time ; as they increased in 

 number the amoebas decreased, and I have reason to think that 

 they are produced from the amoeba, as several of the amoebas 



