1'iiriofiia] infusorial animalcules. 173 



colourless. Found in vegetable infusions. Length of spii-al l-2200tli 

 to 1 -500th. Thickness 1- 14400th. 



This creature strongly resembles the minute Algoe discovered by- 

 Mr. Thompson, as producing the various colours wliich the Ballydi'ian 

 Lake assiunes, and which he has described under the name of 

 Anahaina spiralis, in vol. v. of the Ann. Nat. Hist. ; his figures 

 resemble group 61. The genus is characterized as consisting of an 

 extremely minute moniliform thread, of a rich green colour, and 

 regularly spii-al, like a corkscrew; globules of equal size throughout." 

 In decomposing, it is at first blue and then ferruginous ; each glo- 

 bule ajipeared to consist of a number of granules enveloped in a 

 hyaline membrane. Length of a single coil about 1 -200th 



S. Iryozoon. CoUs consist of a thick body, with a delicate wavy 

 hair-like proboscis. These creatures, found in the reproductive 

 organs of plants, are called by their discoverer. Dr. TJnger, of Gratz, 

 spermatic animalcules. That distinguished botanist has described 

 them in detail in the Regensburger Botan. Fidung. Flora. 1 834 ; and 

 also in the 18th vol. of the Nova Acta NaturcB cur Bonn, 1838. As 

 a condensed view of this subject is given by Dr. Meyen in the 

 Jakresbericht (a work, the like of which England does not possess), 

 for 1838, I shall here insert the ti'anslation I have had made, with 

 the dra^viIlgs Dr. linger kindly sent me for this work. 



"The spermatic animalcules in Sphagnum consist, according to 

 the earlier observations of Unger, of a thick body, and a thin filiform 

 tail ; in motion, this tail being anterior, he holds it analogous to the 

 proboscis of many of the Infusoria. No tnie active motion of the 

 body itself has been observed by Unger ; but he distinguishes be- 

 tween the mere locomotive and the rotatory movements of the whole 

 animalcule. The simplest motion takes place in a spiral direction ; 

 and, if the proboscis is contracted, the movement is simply rotatory. 

 During locomotion of the creature, which proceeds in a spiral 

 manner, Unger saw from one to three revolutions of the body in a 

 second ; and during rotation, he noticed the point of the proboscis to 

 be in a continual state of tremor. Unger endeavours to show that 

 the sjjermatie animalcules of the mosses arc analogous to the spermatic 

 animalcules of animal organisms, although we find certain things in 

 the former not seen in the latter, and which may somewhat embarrass 



