348 W. ARCHER. 



the string. The body-mass consists of very fluid protoplasm, 

 in which are scattered strongly refractive particles and a few 

 contractile vacuoles. The author could discover no nucleus. 

 Very characteristic are its energetic movements, as it sends 

 out long strings in advance, which quickly draw after them 

 the main mass, this play thereupon to be repeated in another 

 direction. But this restless action is sometimes followed by 

 a more quiet demeanour, the pseudopodia alone executing a 

 tremulous and aimless waving about. A granular current 

 is noticeable in the pseudopodia. 



The author did not succeed in following out any develop- 

 ment process. He only saw (like as in Vampyrella) the 

 formation of pellucid, variously figured, digestive cysts, the 

 contents colourless, fluid, the food-balls inclosed in vacuoles. 

 These when commencing showed contractile vacuoles towards 

 the periphery. The contents of these cysts did not become 

 divided, but passed out unaltered through an opening in the 

 Avail of the cyst. 



The author found this form in Germany and Russia, and 

 in the brackish water of the Black Sea. 



The only distinction between this form to distinguish it 

 generically from Vampyrella seems to be the few contractile, 

 not many seemingly non-contractile, vacuoles — a distinction 

 of little importance. Even the " non-contractile" eventually 

 disappear, and probably, after lo7ig intervals, reappear. 



Gymnophrys cometa, Cienk.i (fig. 22). 



This is described by the author as a moneron, whose 

 anastomosing pseudopodia possess a distinct granular current, 

 and is mainly characterised by the pseudopodia being con- 

 fined to only a few points of the surface of the body, not 

 regularly distributed over it. Gymnophrys is a naked, colour- 

 less, protoplasmic mass, without nucleus and without con- 

 tractile vacuoles, from which are given off" at any place, but 

 always sparingly, very long branched and anastomosing, very 

 wide-spreading pseudopodia. The movement of these ulti- 

 mate thin pseudopodia, as also of the granules, is very quick, 

 although the larger strings formed by them remain for hours 

 unaltered. Ingesta seldom met with. The author observed 

 no development process. 



In respect to the position of the form, the author would 

 regard it as a naked representation of the Amphistomatous 

 Monothalamia. 



But wanting a nucleus (as it would appear), it must, if it 



1 Cienkowski, loc. cit., p. 31, t. v, f. 25, 



