PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 239 
Mr. Archer showed an organism referable to Ehrenberg’s genus 
Trachelemonas found in some gatherings made by Captain Hutton 
in the County Donegal. The lorica was elliptic, large and opaque, 
and chiefly remarkable for a whorl of short spines borne at the 
anterior end, in number probably ten or fifteen. The motion of 
the organism was very active and rapid, revolving on its axis 
during progression, thus rendering this crown-like series of spines 
to appear more numerous than they were really found to be when 
it could be examined in a still or comparatively quiet state. 
Captain Hutton called attention to the cell contents of the 
perichetial leaves of Fontinalis antipyretica (L.). He stated that if 
these leaves are examined in spring, while the fruit they surround 
is young, every cell, except those near the base of the leaf, will be 
seen to contain a grumous mass of golden-brown colour, which 
entirely fills it, with the exception of a small empty space at each 
end ; the cell-wall being of a pale green. 
On investigation this brown substance gave the following re- 
actions : 
1. Simply heated, it turned bright green. 
2. Hydrochloric acid had but little effect upon it cold, but 
when heated, it dissolved it, and turned it a very pale-green colour. 
3. Sulphuric acid turned it first a bright green, then pale 
yellowish-brown. 
4. Iodine turned it bright green. On the addition of sulphuric 
acid it became dark reddish-brown, small quantities of gas being 
given off. 
5. Pernitrate of mercury (Millon’s test) rapidly dissolved it 
without changing the colour. When heated, it turned into a pale- 
yellow transparent mass. 
6. Chloriodide of zine (Schultz’s test) turned it pale green. 
7. Alcohol turned it green, but did not dissolve it. 
8. Aither—the same. 
9. Pettenkofer’s test. The syrup turned it pale green. On 
the addition of the sulphuric acid, gas was given off copiously, 
and the colour became bright green, which turned with heat to a 
reddish-brown. 
With tests 4 and 6 the cell-wall showed the characteristic re- 
action of cellulose very distinctly. From these investigations 
Captain Hutton was of opinion that this substance was merel 
some modification of chlorophyll, and he pointed out that, both 
in colour and behaviour with reagents, it seemed to be very 
similar to, if not quite identical with, the endochrome of the 
Diotomacez. Unfortunately the specimens of Captain Hutton, 
exhibited, had been kept in a tumbler of water for nearly a 
month, and consequently the peculiar colour of the cell contents 
had in a great measure disappeared, and the whole had become 
more or less green. 
Mr. Archer ventured to think that the reddish colour seen in 
the moss-leaf exhibited (though, upon a hasty examination he 
VOL. V.— NEW SER. R 
