139 
varied lengths and bifid apices. I admit such an assumption 
was gratuitous, the more especially after a perusal of Greeff’s 
memoir, and due consideration of the characteristics of his 
A. spinifera. 
I have now, however, no hesitation in recording this form 
(A, spinifera, Greeff) as occurring in this country, for, besides 
the more minute forms alluded to, I have lately taken a num- 
ber of perfectly typical examples from both County West- 
meath and County Tipperary. Of the smaller forms I have 
tried to reproduce an example in fig. 8, to which I shall 
presently advert, first drawing attention to the features illus- 
trated by fig. 7, representing a preparation after treatment 
in Beale’s carmine fluid. 
Amongst the points illustrated by the example before us 
(fig. 7), the first that may probably attract notice is the fact 
that we have here two individuals in a state of “ zygosis.” 
This phenomenon is occasionally seen in all Rhizopoda, but 
is, perhaps, more noteworthy in those ‘‘ Radiolarian ” forms, 
like the species of Acanthocystis, which, unlike those of 
** Ameeban”’ affinity, are altogether surrounded by a kind of 
wall of solid parts (spicula) which might be supposed to 
interfere with, or act as a bar or hindrance to, the mutual 
fusion of the sarcode bodies. However, not only the present 
form, but likewise Acanthocystis turfacea (Carter) and A. 
Pertyana (mihi) sometimes present themselves in this condi- 
tion, and the present pair of examples of this form, so 
** conjugated,” have not been chosen by me for illustration 
merely on that account. Whilst as yet regarding such an 
example as that seen in fig. 8 as a younger specimen of A. 
spinifera, yet 1t may be worthy of mention that even such 
minute forms occasionally present. themselves ‘ conjugated ” 
—-just a possible argument, indeed, that they may be actually 
distinct, supposing ‘‘ zygosis” to indicate “maturity.” It 
might, however, be held by some that such a condition does 
not really -represent a case of ‘‘ conjugation” of two distinct 
individuals, but rather of incomplete self-fission of a single 
individual ; but although the true import of the phenomenon 
remains very problematic, still I think a consideration, to be 
mentioned below, seems to indicate that this does not repre- 
sent an act of mere division, but really represents two 
* individuals” in a state of fusion or “‘ zygosis.’” Accepting 
it as true that so it is in the case before us, perhaps the only 
circumstance directly connected with this particular condi- 
tion really worthy of being drawn attention to, is, that the 
radial or vertical spines are distributed seemingly as evenly 
over the broad connecting isthmus, or commissure, as at any 
VOL. XIL.—NEW SER. K 
