DR. BUSCH, ON NOCTILUCA (^MILIARIS?). 201 



' rod ' sliould come into the proper position ; or what function is performed 

 by tlie projecting processes." 



The full elucidation of this very interestinj^' point was pre- 

 vented by the interference of the highly enlightened port- 

 officials, who feaixxl that the author's researches in Marine 

 Zoology would be injurious to the interests of the Spanish 

 people. 



The fragmentary observations in development made by the 

 author were too scanty, as he considers, to lead to any de- 

 finite result. " The most important point appears to be 

 to determine whether the genus found in the empty sacculi 

 are identical with the brown corpuscles met with in the 

 interior of the old Noctiluca. From their size, this might 

 certainly be supposed ; but in that case, the originally granular 

 contents of their nucleus must be transformed into a homo- 

 geneous substance. It is probable, therefore, that the brown 

 bodies, which at first make their appearance on the nodular 

 mass, may be gemmce, which are subsequently detached, and 

 after remaining for a time in the interior, undergo further 

 development." (?) 



In fig. 7 is represented an animal apparently referrible to 

 Noctiluca, and which might readily he imagined to represent 

 a gemmule fully developed on a perfect Noctiluca, which had 

 pullulated on the disc itself, and only required to be detached 

 to become an independent individual. But the author is 

 rather inclined to believe that it is only an abnormity, a double 

 monster ; for if a germination of this kind really took plate in 

 this class of animals, it would be very remarkable that only a 

 single instance of it should be presented, among the irmu- 

 merable multitudes of individuals brought under the author's 

 observation. 



" Among the NoctiluccB taken during the three days," in 

 which he was permitted to continue his researches, " there 

 occurred bodies of another kind still (fig. 9), which, like the 

 Noctilucce, floated on the surface of the water, and were of 

 exactly the same size and consistence, although they presented 

 organs of far smaller dimensions. Some specimens also shone 

 in the dark like the NoctiluccB. They were minute gelatinous 

 discs, nearly perfect spheres, quite transparent, without fibres 

 or filament ; the greater part of their bulk was entirely homo- 

 geneous, except that on a very small segment of the upper 

 surface might be remarked numerous yellowish processes. 

 Most of these processes were rounded, but some had a very 

 fine point, into wliich they were prolonged above, being 

 attached by a wider base below (fig. 10). The only indica- 

 tion of structure in them were minute round granules. That 



