372 W. ARCHER. 



Schulze's experience of the structure in Raphidiophrys pallida 

 accords with the descriptions of those authors. 



Precisely in the centre of the body he found a minute 

 round body (O'OOo mm.j, from which passed very fine straight 

 "spines" in all directions radially through the substance, 

 and he could follo>v them into the pseudopodia. He was able 

 to see this particularly plainly in an example killed by sul- 

 phuric acid and become swollen and hyaline, although the 

 pseudopodia were drawn in and the nucleolus greatly dege- 

 nerated. He could see nothing of the clear central space 

 described by Grenacher in Acanth. viridis, but the " radial 

 spines and the minute central globular body in which they 

 all unite could be well recognised." That these radial (so- 

 called) " spines " and the globular connecting body are not 

 siliceous, any more than the (so-called by Schulze) supporting 

 "spines" of the pseudopodia in Actinosphserium, Schulze 

 satisfied himself by application of reagents. 



A further characteristic of the body-substance in R. pallida 

 is the presence of numerous (10 — 20) pulsating spaces filled 

 with clear fluid. These are not, as usually the case, round, 

 but are rather, as a rule, longish egg-shaped, and so placed 

 that the longitudinal axis stands radially, the narrower end 

 directed inwards. They appear, as it were, just as if caught 

 between the radial " spines." They stand near, sometimes 

 very close to, the outer part. He could see no membranous 

 wall to these " pulsating vacuoles." 



Such matters as food, diatoms, minute algse, &c., were 

 often present, lying in the outer region, being naturally 

 hindered from passing into the middle by the concurrent 

 system of radial " spines." 



The siliceous spicules are solid, cylindrical, slightly curved 

 at both ends, gradually and equally attenuate and pointed. 

 They are thus' similar to those of R. viridis. 



After stating that he could not satisfy himself of the pre- 

 sence of any " shiny, fluid, sarcode, cortical layer," he never- 

 theless goes on to say, " Certainly the spicules of R. pallida 

 are here and there loosely united by means of a soft 

 sarcode, as well with the pseudopodia making their exit 

 between them as with one another, but I can perceive in it 

 no continuous outward cortical layer, but only the softer 

 sarcode covering of the ' pseudopodial spines ' Avhich flows 

 over from the globular inner body on the latter, and from 

 there on the siliceous spicules standing in contact with them, 

 uniting them as well with the pseudopodia as also amongst 



one another, loose and easily movable I assume 



that a number of vacuities mav be left between the siliceous 



