CHLAMYDOMYXA LABYRINTHULOIDES. 117 
this has been consolidated the sarcode mass, which all the 
time gives off its filamentary tracks and spindles, the Spiro- 
tenia embedded in its midst. 
Several times I have kept such glorious examples as that 
figured in a growing slide ; after some hours the ramifica- 
tions were drawn in, and there remained nothing but a “shape- 
less” mass sticking partially out of the torn opening of the 
envelope, or all had wholly disappeared. I never succeeded 
in directly tracing it, but there can be no doubt such can 
wholly retract and again secrete a wall, and completely shut 
itself up. Indeed it appears probable that an isolated or 
detached portion of the mass left apart also can so encyst 
itself—one might almost say indeed that this organism 
appears to have an abhorrence to remain long without a cyst ; 
nay, even though seemingly the sarcode portion may not 
have emerged and offered the grand arborescent condition at 
all, still the contained mass will keep secreting a new coat, 
and adding yet another lamina to its perhaps already many stra- 
tified and much thickened envelope. And so, seemingly, after 
several egresses, retractions, recoatings, or subdivisions in- 
wardly, and fresh recoatings, are brought about the numerous 
and manifold, often outré, shapes, in the encysted and 
dormant state assumed by this organism. 
Anxious to find anything to indicate a reproductive pro- 
cess, I have delayed to bring forward even this so erude an 
account of this form; but in that hope I have failed. The 
only thing pointing thereto is a subdivision of the contents 
sometimes noticed into a considerable number of generall 
equal parts, sometimes a variation in size is noticeable (Pl. VII, 
fig, 3). ‘These are globular in figure and seem at first to be 
without any wall. Such kept for a time on a slide by and 
by collapse shapeless ; if they had a wall they would not do 
so. But, true to the idiosyncrasy of this organism, in a 
normal state, each of the balls is not long without forming a 
special wall (as in the figure), and a number of globular, 
smooth, simple-walled, secondary individuals are produced in 
the cavity of the large multilaminated primary one. One 
sees before one something like an oogonium of a Saprolegnian, 
but there does not appear any analogy between them. 
Such is an attempt to convey an idea of this organism, 
which may perhaps stand for the present as Chlamydomyxa 
labyrinthuloides, as it presented itself in the natural condition, 
especially the first and second seasons of my making its 
remarkable form from its extreme slenderness. Breadth 55455 to roho00", 
about 20 times longer than broad. 
