98 _ PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 
plant Myxomycetes. These plasmodia have the function of falling 
apart into amceba-like forms, which have hitherto been regarded as 
independent animal organisms; hence he thinks that many Amebe 
do not represent independent forms, but belong to the developmental 
cycle of other and plant-like organisms. Among the monads, 
Cienkowski, according to a German correspondent of ‘ Nature,’ has 
observed forms in various stages of encystment, self-division, and 
formation of colonies. But the most remarkable series of changes 
were observed in Diplophrys stercorea, an extremely small cell-like 
organism with a yellow spot and pseudopodia at two opposite ends of 
the body. These little bodies, observed in moist horse-dung, multiply 
by division, and form by union of the pseudopodia long strings in 
which separate individuals can glide to and fro. “Thus the boundary 
lines which it has so long been usual to draw between plant and 
animal organisms, and between the individual groups of those lowest 
forms of life, appear more and more illusory, and the supposition is 
recommended of a common lowest kingdom of organisms, that of 
Protista (Haeckel), out of which animals and plants have by degrees 
been differentiated.” 
The Life-history of the Salpe.—Mr. W. K. Brooks has published a 
very interesting paper on the subject of the development of the Salpe. 
In this he traces out their entire life-history, and by the aid of several 
euts which he has borrowed from Professor Agassiz fully illustrates 
this subject. The paper is in the ‘American Naturalist’ for November ; 
and although it contains nothing new, still the following paragraph is 
worthy of quotation :—“ The life-history of Salpa may then be briefly 
stated in outline as follows: The solitary Salpa is the female, and pro- 
duces a chain of males by budding, and discharges a single egg into 
the body of each of these before birth. These eggs are impregnated 
while the chain-salpe are very small and sexually immature, and 
develop into females which give rise to males by budding. After the 
foetus has been discharged from the body of the male, the latter attains 
its full size, becomes sexually mature, and discharges its spermatic 
fluid into the water to gain access to the eggs carried by other 
immature chains.” 
Microscortcan Contents oF FoREIGN JOURNALS. 
Archives de Physiologie, publies par Brown-Sequard, &e. No. 2, 
Mars, Avril, 1876.—The first paper is partly a microscopical one, and 
is of great physiological importance. It is on “ The Condition of the 
Persistence of Sensibility in the Peripheric Ends of Divided Nerves.” 
It is illustrated by a series of five coloured plates. This is the only 
paper of histological interest. 
Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, vol. xi. part 1. Edited by 
Messrs. Humphrey, Turner, &c.—This contains several papers of 
interest to the microscopist. Among the more important are the 
following: “On the Development of the Mamma,” by C. Creighton, 
with a plate; “On the Stomach of the Fresh-water Crayfish,’ by 
T. J. Parker, with a plate; the second part of the paper “On the 
