THE FORAMINIFERA OF THE RIVER DEE. 43 
months. From thence they are readily picked off with a fine- 
pointed camel’s hair pencil, and transferred to a slide or cell for 
microscopic examination. The species most commonly found 
living are Polystomella striato-punctata, Nonionina depressula, 
and Gromia oviformis ; and frequently associated with these are 
Diflugia pyriformis and D. aculeata. Specimens are thus 
readily obtainable for studying the life-history of both the 
Imperforate and Perforate divisions of the group, and also the 
Ameebina. 
Foraminifera of various species are brought up the river in 
the frothy scum which floats with the tide, but no living specimen 
has ever been obtained from this source; those so found being 
dead and dry shells which have been picked up from the sand- 
banks by the “bore” of the tide, and carried towards Chester 
along with it. Surface gatherings from the lower parts of the 
river abound with large and heavy forms of Diatomacee, the 
exuvie of Crustacea, and swimming Hntomostraca, but contain 
no Foraminifera. Mr. SHEPHEARD, Mr. A. O. WALKER, and 
Dr. SrotrerrorH have also diligently used the tow-net here- 
abouts, but the only living Foraminifer I have either seen or 
heard of from this source was a small Textularia variabilis, 
obtained by the last-named gentleman, although bottom dredg- 
ings from the same localities yield Foraminifera abundantly. 
In a very rich gathering of Rhizopoda, made at Holywell on 
the 19th of April, 1875, all the above-mentioned species were 
very plentiful; and some fine living specimens of Polystomella 
striato-punctata then obtained were afterwards kept under 
observation for several days. They were fora few days par- 
ticularly active, and crawled about the cells in which they were 
placed for examination. At the end of that time, the pseudo- 
podia of some became finally retracted, and the sarcode showed 
a tendency to become granulated and condensed into an oval 
mass in the centre of each chamber of the shell. The follow- 
ing note, having reference to this aggregation of the sarcode, 
was made at the time:—“ . . . Twelve chambers of shell 
were visible externally. The granular oval contents of chambers 
