166 MEMORAINDA. 



so mucli attention as abroad, where Professor Elirenberg, of 

 Berlin, and Dr. Pouchet, of Rouen, stand at the l;ead of one 

 party of naturalists ; whilst opposed to them is a large num- 

 ber, supporting- the views of Dujardin in France, and of 

 Sieliold in Germany. 



Havinq: had my attention attracted to this dispute, and 

 conversed with many of those naturalists who take an active 

 interest in the controversy (especially with Dr. Pouchet, 

 whose judgment I find in all cases to be the least prejudiced), 

 curiosity has tempted me to scrutinise their theories with 

 care, and practically to test their merits. 



Briefly stated, the following are the views espoused by the 

 respective parties of naturalists : — 



Elirenberg states, the digestive apparatus of the Polygas- 

 trica (now known as Infusoria) to consist of many globular 

 stomachs. In the higlier forms, t'lese stomachs are connected 

 by a bowel, which has a receiving and a discharging orifice, 

 situated on the external integument of the Animalcule ; in 

 t!;e lowest types the bowel is dispensed with ; a number of 

 stomachs, along with a single orifice, being all that Ehrenberg 

 lias been able to discover. 



The theories of this great naturalist are fully described in 

 Mr. Pritchard's work. 



Dr. Pouchet, who to some extent supports Khrenberg's 

 opinion, acknowledges the existence of the polygastric struc- 

 ture, so far as the fixed globular stomachs are concerned, but 

 candidly confesses that he has not been able to discover a 

 connecting bowel. He has chiefly studied the Kolpoda and 

 VorticellcB. 



Opposed to this theory, Dujardin affirms that the so-called 

 Polyaastrica contain irregularly-formed alimentary granules, 

 which continually rotate within the body, in the same manner 

 as in tlie Chara in Plants ; and that not being fixed, as stated by 

 Ehrenberg, they cannot have a connecting bowel attached to 

 the outer integument. 



Dr. Cohn. of Breslau, has accurately described this rotation 

 of granules in Loxodes bnrsnria, and contributed an article on 

 the strut ture of this Infusorium to Siebold's ' Zeitschrift.' 



The following are the results (concisely stated) ol my 

 investigation, in connection with this disputed question. 



I liave traced tlie growth of Glaucoma scintillans, from the 

 Moiias socialis of Ehrenberg (found amongst the Chlamido- 

 monas, or green-dust monads, in rain-water), and have seen 

 graduaUy developed within it many simple globular stomachs, 

 place:! in a tolerablv regular line round the body. They do 

 not rotate, but are permanently fixed. I have fed them with 



