G4 
ant in this form than in anyother of the Monocyttaria, and 
the whole surface of which 1s covered with numerous fine and 
short pseudopodia (fig. 4). Around the central capsule is a 
mass of clear hyaline corpuscles (figs. 1 and 2 ac), which 
Haeckel has elsewhere called extra-capsular alveoli. They 
contain each a nucleus and a watery fluid, and are probably 
true cells, as above defined in discussing the nature of plastids. 
These hyaline cells are probably to be considered as a large- 
celled form of connective tissue, and are similar to the tissue 
so common in the lower animals (worms, molluscs, crustacea), 
known as “ Blasengewebe.” Besides these extra-capsular 
cells there are extra-caspular oil-globules and yellow cells 
which contain starch, the latter being aggregated to form the 
axis of the finger-like process or processes, each of which has 
calcareous concretions at its end. Radiating streams of softer 
protoplasm pass from the central capsule to the surface through 
the denser, structureless, sarcode jelly. 
The coccoliths are to be regarded as spicula of Myxo- 
brachia in all probability. Similar spicula were figured by 
Haeckel in Thalassicolla morum, but calcareous spicula were 
not certainly known before in Radiolaria, though all Radio- 
laria do not necessarily possess siliceous skeletons. A new 
Thalassicolla, of smaller size than the large Myxobrachia, was 
found by Haeckel off the Canaries, which he calls Th. san- 
guinolenta. It presents strong resemblance to Myxobrachia 
in its alveolar cells and central capsule, and it is suggested 
that this form may ultimately develop into Myxobrachia. 
The great peculiarity of the latter is in its finger-lke pro- 
cesses with their concretions. It is possible but not likely 
that the coccolith-like concretions are taken in with food, 
but the other accompanying Radiolaria do not exhibit them. 
In any case, if we admit the coccoliths to be the spicula of 
Myxobrachia their history is not solved, for, says Haeckel, 
it is very unlikely that the innumerable masses of myriads of 
coccoliths and coccospheres forming the Atlantic ooze have 
been derived from Myxobrachie, which have sunk to the 
bottom after their death. He waits for further observation. 
The discovery of starch in the yellow cells of Myxobrachia 
and several other Radiolaria—which cells, by the way, are 
true cells—is recounted in detail. Both Miller and 
Haeckel had previously failed in recognising the starch on 
former occasions with the iodine test (iodine dissolved in 
potassium iodide), with which he has now succeeded. He 
attributes this to the use of higher powers (1200 diameters), 
which enables him clearly to see the blue coloration of the 
nucleus of the yellow cells when the test is applied, the blue 
