370 W. ARCHER. 



through which they directly pass. If, again, there were no 

 living medium (sarcode or some modification of it), surely 

 the spicules would readily get removed and lost, but they 

 stick together with wonderful unanimity. 



Further, surely it would not be supposed that these 

 numerous spicules could originate actually apart from the 

 liviiig portion ; it will not be held that they came into ex- 

 istence independently, and that the pseudopodia merely lend 

 a little of their own substance just to prevent the multitudes 

 of loose spicules already circumjacent becoming lost. Is it not 

 more natural, rather, to assume that this outer cloudy-looking 

 region must have really preceded the existence of the spi- 

 cules, and that possibly it in turn may owe its origin to an 

 exudation from the whole body-mass (like the gelatinous 

 investment of algae) ; but be this as it may, until we shall 

 know the whole development of such a form, our generic 

 characters can be based only on the (mature) fulli/ formed 

 organism as we find it. And after all I still venture to sup- 

 pose my original conception of the conditions under con- 

 sideration not to be very far from the truth. 



So, to a certain extent, Hertvvig and Lesser, I take it, 

 misconceive on one point what I meant to convey. I quite 

 acquiesce that the seat of individuality is to be sought for in 

 the sarcode body-masses, and that no matter how many in 

 one group such an assemblage is to be regarded not as an 

 individual but as a colony of individuals ; and it is probable 

 that one or more of such could become, as is probably often 

 the case, dissociated by a breaking off of the sarcode-con- 

 necting isthmuses, and at the same time bringing away a 

 share of the common outer envelope with the contained 

 spicules, and then maintain an existence apart. 



Raphidiophrys pallida, Schulze. 



Under this name Schulze describes a form (found in the 

 basin of the Botanic Garden at Graz, on half-decaying Cera- 

 tophyllum leaves),^ primarily distinguished from R. viridis, 

 Archer, by the want of chlorophyll- granules, and hence its 

 colourless character. But, seemingly, just this circumstance 

 enabled the author to gain an instructive insight into its 

 inner structure, which he describes. 



Whilst R. viridis usually occurs in colonies, this species 

 constantly presented itself singly. The globular body-mass 

 is surrounded by an either directly apposed or slightly 

 remote stratum of spicules, tossed abovit in all directions 



! Schulze, in ' Schultze's Archiv,' Bd. x, p. 377, t. xxvi, f. 1. 



