296 E. A. MINCHIN. 



slightly towards one another about the naiddle of their course. 

 Whether these ridges are natural, or are the result of shrinkage 

 from the action of the spirit, I cannot say. The caudal pro- . 

 cess appears to be broader in its distal half than at its origin, 

 but this is obviously an optical effect due to the caudal process 

 being curled up at the sides and concave on one face. 



Schneider (2), who first saw these spores, described them 

 as having two caudal processes instead of one. Mingazzini 

 (5) in his description follows Schneider, but it would appear 

 that he has simply copied Schneider in his description of the 

 spores, and does not describe what he has seen himself. I 

 have examined a very large number of spores from different 

 cysts, and have never observed anything but a single caudal 

 process. Moreover, since the process is extremely delicate, 

 and is slightly curved at the edges, which Avould hence appear 

 thicker in optical section, it would be easy in a bad light to 

 have the appearance of two processes instead of one. I am 

 more inclined to adopt this explanation of the difference be- 

 tween my observations and those of Schneider and Mingaz- 

 zini than to suppose that so great a difference could occur in 

 the spores of the same species. 



In none of the spores which I examined could I see anything 

 but a confused granular mass in the interior. But in the 

 material which I sent to Professor Biitschli he was able, after 

 staining with haematoxylin, to see and draw eight sporozoites. 

 After this I carefully re-examined my material and stained 

 spores in different ways, both with Delafield's and Kleinen- 

 berg's hsematoxylin, but still was unable to get anything 

 stained in the interior of the spores. I wrote, therefore, to 

 Professor Biitschli to ask his leave to reproduce the sketch he 

 sent me, whereupon he most kindly sent me his beautiful pre- 

 paration of the spores, in which I was able to make out easily 

 all the details described by him in his letter. I am inclined 

 to think that the cyst examined by Professor Biitschli was one 

 exceptionally well preserved ; perhaps from greater proximity 

 to the anus, or some other cause, the alcohol in which the 

 Holothurian was preserved reached it quicker and fixed it in 



