CHLAMYDOMYXA LABYRINTHULOIDES. 111 
tremely delicate processes are flexible, but do not seem spon- 
taneously to alter much in position as first developed, or at 
least very slowly, but only to grow in length and number. 
But, further, pari passu with their own appearance, occur at 
various distances upon them minute fusiform bodies of a pale 
bluish tint, their longitudinal axis posed in the direction of 
the length of the filament. At first glance these might 
momentarily be taken for so many fusiform expansions or 
enlargements of the delicate filament itself, offering a degree 
of (bluish) colour, owing merely to their greater thickness. 
But a closer inspection at once dispels this idea: the fusiform 
bodies are seen to be in motion, though slow, along the hair- 
like filament (P1. VI, passim). 
A very few minutes’ examination suffices to prove this’ T 
regret I have not a note of their rate of progression ; but if 
attention be bestowed on any few spindles (four, five, or ‘six) , at 
any given place on one of these capillary filaments, their rela- 
tive distances will be noticed to have considerably altered in 
a few minutes. The little spindle, now in advance of several 
others, may slacken its pace as compared with those behind, 
or, what comes to the same thing, the hindermost may become 
accelerated ; the natural result 1 is that the foremost spindle is 
overtaken ; it may then act as a temporary stop or barrier to 
the advance of those behind, and the little group may come 
to a standstill. They may then remain in linear sequence, 
or become, as it were, huddled together, and form a little 
cluster, but by-and-by they may resume their movement. 
But in such a case of a spindle now in advance becoming 
checked, what is more singular may sometimes happen—the 
hindermost may actually creep over the lazy one in front, 
and, this accomplished, then, nothing baulked, quietly pur- 
sue its way, leaving the spindle previously in advance of it 
far behind. 
It is natural to speak of these minute travelling bodies as 
spindles, for that is their usual shape, but this can vary. In 
such a curious case as that just mentioned, of one of these 
bodies passing right over another in advance of it sooner 
than allow it to remain a barrier to its progress, the former 
may assume a rounded or even a globose figure during the 
accomplishment of the act. (Its sluggish motion, and its 
often somewhat slug-like figure, as it slowly passes up and 
over its predecessor, seemingly at a standstill, might fanci- 
fully suggest a pair of slugs, unable to do more than creep, 
making an effort to accomplish between them but at best a 
very tardy game of “leap-frog’’!) But when the little 
travelling body has passed over the other the fusiform figure 
