98 niCKSj ON VEGETABLE AMffiBOID BODIES. 



in segmeiitinj^' as gouidia do. By this process the whole of 

 the cell of the radicle was empty, with, of course, the excep- 

 tion of these ovoid bodies (figs. 5 and 6), which other obser- 

 vations, not needful here to be related, proved to be the 

 homologues of the gonidia of other cryptogamic plants. 



Some of these masses changed their colour to red or 

 reddish-brown ; and gradually lost their colour till no 

 trace of red or green remained, excepting reddish granules, 

 as in the case of the Yolvox. These changes are shewn 

 in figs. 6 and 7 a. The specimens I had the opportunity 

 of seeing possessed from two to four vacuoles more 

 distinctly than was noticed by me in the Volvox in 1860 ; 

 and their size seemed to depend somewhat upon the amount 

 of their exposure to water to which they were subjected. 



These changes having proceeded thus far, they gradually 

 began to alter their form, and to protrude and retract 

 processes exactly as Amoebse, and as was noticed in the 

 Yolvox. They travelled up and down the interior of the 

 cells, occasionally elongating themselves into almost a linear 

 form. (See figs. 7 and 9.) The movement of their contents 

 presented the same phenomena as those of true Amoebse. 

 Although generally all the masses of green endoplast simul- 

 taneously underwent these changes, yet exceptions might now 

 and then be found, either in the same cell, or in adjoining, 

 where the changed and unchanged masses co- existed. The 

 number of amoeboid bodies in each radicular cell would 

 therefore seem to depend either upon the number of masses 

 into which the endoplast is primarily divided, or upon the 

 number of segmentations into which it again resolved itself. 

 I have seen as many as seven in one cell moving freely 

 about. 



Anxious to learn what became of these bodies, I carefully 

 watched one for some hours, and observed the following — 

 First, the movement by protrusion became gradually re- 

 stricted till it was extinguished, the mass returning to the 

 ovoid form it possessed originally. The exterior also seemed 

 to become more rigid, although I do not think there was any 

 distinct cell-wall. Secondly. The whole exterior became 

 covered with very minute ciliee, in constant vibration, by 

 which the mass Avas kept in a state of agitation, within the 

 containiug cell ; the total motion was curtailed of course, but 

 in bodies which I noticed moving in the water undistinguish- 

 able from them, the motion was rapid and rolling. Beyond 

 this point I Avas unable to extend my observations on their 

 life-history. These snccerding conditions are shown in fig. 

 lU ; c ixpitsiiuts the ciliated condition. 



