101 
(the plane variety—this he had only once obtained before, and it 
appears rare), also Spherozosma filiforme (Khr.). As time was 
limited, however, he would not now dilate on these, but pass on to 
two rhizopodous forms which would not keep. 
Mr. Archer then exhibited a form of rhizopod new to Britain, and 
which he had encountered for the first time about a year ago, at 
first thinking, until he had had an opportunity to see Bailey’s paper 
in full, that it must be a new form; it is, at all events, one very 
distinct ; there, however, could be extremely little or no doubt but 
that this was truly none else than Bailey’s Pamphagus mutabilis 
(‘American Journal of Science and Arts,’ vol. xv, 2nd series, May, 
1853). It would seem, at all events, sufficiently interesting to 
detect on this side of the Atlantic so singular a form, the present 
being only the second instance, so far as Mr. Archer was aware, of 
its record, thus, after being lost to observation for eighteen years, 
possibly ignored by some as an apocryphal species. Bailey’s nume- 
rous figures, it is true (Joc. cit.), are but poor, being only rough 
woodcuts, yet there could hardly be a doubt, from his general de- 
scription, but that the form now shown was that hungry species, 
though the varied shapes assumed by Bailey’s specimens were not 
here presented, possibly owing to the food occurring in the pools 
whence these examples came being more compact morsels than the 
elongate confervoid filaments taken in by Bailey’s specimens, thus 
producing less outward distortion. It was curious, however, to note 
the extraordinary variety and quantity of the most diverse prey 
which these insatiable examples of rhizopodous life had captured— 
diatoms, desmids, infusoria, alge (detached confervoid joints and 
protococcoids), in fact, everything manageable, ultimately densely 
and closely packed when fully digested. A new point worth 
recording is the possession by this form of a large elliptic so-called 
“‘ nucleus,” like that of Amceba, but this is surely not at all an 
Ameeba. Its very long and linear branching and fitful pseudopodia 
(issuing from the broad end of a normally rather large pyriform 
body) cause it more nearly to approach the genus Plagiophrys 
(Clap. et Lachmann) ; but though it may be said to havea kind of 
skin, it does not appear to possess the distinct hyaline test-like coat 
of the form which Mr. Archer would refer to Plagiophrys spherica 
(Clap. et Lachm.). The examples are very rare, and found as yet 
only in one or two pools in County Westmeath, but Mr. Archer 
hoped not to lose sight of it, this record being enough for fugitive 
Minutes ; still, if future gatherings should present suitable specimens 
it would, no doubt, be worth while to try and make a sketch of this 
most insatiable of gluttons, the highest goal of whose existence, at 
which some even seem to arrive, would actually appear to be to 
live its gormandizing life and then to die of sheer repletion. 
Mr. Archer further showed some examples of another sufficiently 
remarkable rhizopod, which at first glance would be accounted an 
Ameeba, but which, on closer examination, showed a speciality which 
would seem to place it apart. Under ordinary circumstances, still 
less than Amoeba proper, did it show any projections or prolonga- 
