PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 177 



alveoli, the cells of which had everywhere an epithelial character, and 

 could be readily distinguished from the growth of connective tissue 

 corpuscles near them. In one case the excretory ducts of the mucous 

 glands were implicated, being dilated three or four times beyond the 

 normal width, and covered with six or eight layers of pavement- 

 epithelium. They presented also sacculated enlargements, of the same 

 appearance as the neighbouring cancer-alveoli. In another investiga- 

 tion, Carmalt determined that cancer-cells possessed the property of 

 spontaneous or amoeboid movement. Minute particles were removed 

 with a warmed knife from a newly excised tumour, and mounted in 

 serum derived from the blood of the incised wound. The specimen 

 was examined on a Strieker's warm stage, at a temperature of 

 104-107° Fahr. In the case of cells from two cases of cancer of the 

 breast, and one case of sarcoma of the axilla, the amoeboid movements 

 were observed side by side with, and distinguishable from, the move- 

 ments of white blood corpuscles. The tumour elements comported 

 themselves like amoeboid cells, assuming various forms and shooting 

 out short processes. The amoeboid movements of the tumour cells 

 were found, to be more sluggish than those of the colourless blood 

 corpuscles. 



Ehrenberg's Foraminifera. — Messrs. Parker, F.R.S., and Eupert 

 Jones, F.R.S., give, in a recent number of the 'Annals of Natural 

 History,' an interesting account of Herr Ehrenberg's researches on the 

 Foraminifera. They say, we feel certain that the better Ehrenberg's 

 work is understood, his beautiful and lasting illustrations, and his 

 painstaking synoptical registers, will largely advance the progress of 

 biology in its relation to both the present and the past. In removing 

 some obscurity from the highly valuable groups of Foraminifera of 

 which he has treated, we feel the pleasure of being of use to naturalists 

 and geologists, enabling them to put several extensive faunae and local 

 groups into close critical relation with each other, and with such as 

 have been observed by others. Further, we are sure that Ehrenberg 

 himself, thinking over the improved biological systems of later 

 naturalists, and open to conviction on good arguments, would freshly 

 recognize the force of his own words respecting the importance of 

 rhizopodal studies and their slowly progressive nature ; and be pleased 

 to find, also, his own researches not only serving as a broad basis for 

 the study in general and as steps to higher knowledge, but still more 

 freely trodden in the upward ascent, when made somewhat clearer and 

 firmer for the student. 



RdckeVs work on Calcareous Sponges is admirably reviewed by P. S. 

 in 'Nature' (Feb. 13). After giving some of the principal names of 

 those whose works the author has less or more made use of, the writer 

 of the notice goes on to say, that the first chapter gives an apprecia- 

 tive account of the admirable labours of Professor Grant, and of the 

 subsequent contributions to the subject by Johnston, Bowerbank, 

 Lieberkiihu, Carter, Oscar Schmidt, and Kolliker. The defects of 

 Mr. Bowerbank's " Monograph of British Sponges " are clearly pointed 

 out, but its great merits receive equally cordial recognition, while the 



