Astasiaea.] iNFTTSOEiAt animalcttles. 183 



under my observation. Tlie tail may be coneiflered as an organ of 

 locomotion, and the single proboscis of throe of the geneva, and the 

 double proboscis of one other genus, have a like otfice. It is pro- 

 bable that proboscides exist also in the genus Colaeium, although 

 they have not been determined; but in the JDistigma there is hardly 

 a doubt of their absence. The vcsicidar cells have been supposed to 

 form a portion of the nutritive apparatus, although it is not satis- 

 factorily demonsti'ated by the application of colom-ed food. Ehren- 

 berg has, nevertheless, noticed some manifestations of an artificial 

 action having been produced, as he observed green and red cells in 

 the Euglena viridis. Three genera in this family exhibit signs of 

 the hermaphrodite condition, whilst the other three. Astasia, Bis- 

 tigma, and Colaeium, have only one form of reproductive apparatus, 

 namely ova. In the Euglena there may be seen, in addition to the 

 green ova and seminal glands, a contractile vesicle of a seminal 

 description, and the large red visual points in five of the genera affords 

 e\'ident tokens of a system of sensation. What, however, may be 

 deemed most worthy of remark in this family is, that in the species, 

 Euglena longicauda and amllyophis we have the first indications of 

 the presence of nervous matter that is to be found in the polygastric 

 Infusoria, in the form of a white glandular knot, situated below 

 the eye. 



The following table is descriptive of the genera of this family: — 



Eye wanting Astasia. 



r witli one ( tail wanting Amblyophis. 



C proboscis | 



' With one free ■I { tail present Euglena. 



eye J 



] L with two proboscides Chlorogonium. 



Eyes present < 



L attached by a pedicle Colaeium. 



, With two eyes Distigma. 



The family Euglence {Eugleniens) of Dujardin, in a great measure 

 corresponds with that of Astasicea, of Ehrenberg, the first named 

 naturalist prefening the term Euglenece, on account of the resem- 

 blance of Ehrenberg' s name to that of a family of Crustaceans, 

 viz., the Astacice. 



Dujardin looks upon the so called eyes as insufficient to afford 



