HICKS, ON VEGETABLE AMOEBOID BODIES. 101 



Volvox can become amoeboid, our chief diffiulty of extending 

 the possibility of the same change to that of a free cell, is in 

 the main overcome. 



Secondly. The only other May of explaining these phe- 

 nomena, is by supposing that true Amoebfe had engulphed 

 these vegetable cells, in the cases just quoted, equal to their 

 own size, and then digested them. This explanation seems, 

 therefore, scarcely tenable, especially when it is mentioned 

 that although there was present a variety of other organic 

 bodies, yet these only contained the green matter ; and, 



Thirdly, the size of these bodies bore a strict relation to 

 the size of the vegetable cells in whose company they Avere 

 found — that is to say, in specimens where the green cells were 

 large, the amoeboid bodies were also, and where they were 

 smaller, then the size of the others agreed likewise. 



In recording the observations brought forward in this com- 

 munication, I have dwelt entirely on the history of the 

 changes, and have purposely omitted anything bearing on 

 their chemical nature, because of the uncertain value of the 

 latter in giving us help in the matter, and because of the 

 much more conclusive character of the evidence of the former. 

 Taken in conjunction with the observations of others, it seems 

 that we are justified in assuming that vegetable protoplasm, 

 under certain conditions, has the property — when deprived of 

 its limiting layer of cellulose — of spontaneous notion, like 

 that of protozoa. 



These remarks I make, notwithstanding that Carter has 

 retracted his opinions regarding the explanation he had fre- 

 quently put forward in the 'Annals of Natural History;''^ 

 for it appears to me that the grounds upon which he has rejected 

 his opinions are much slighter than those which supported 

 it. His facts, however, remain the same, but his interpreta- 

 tion is different. Instead of considering that vegetable pro- 

 toplasm becomes rhizopodous, he now explains the phenomena, 

 which he remarks is common to almost all algaj, to be pro- 

 duced by the growth of a germ of a true rhizopod, which was 

 included by some means within the mass of protoplasm. In 

 alluding to his statement that Acetinse are thrown off by Vor- 

 ticella, he writes : — " Seeing, then, the great analogy if not 

 real identity, that exists between the nature of these organ- 

 isms, I would suggest that the germ of the Acetinee, like the 

 egg of the Ichneumonidse, becomes encysted in the Yorticella, 

 and lives upon its host." 



Again, ''No one can at first sight witness the change 



* Carter, " Notes and Corrections on Organization of Infusoria," 'Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist.,' 3rcl series, vol. viii, p. 287. 



