20 THE FOEAMINIFEEA 



the living organism we cannot do better than quote 

 the admirable description of Gromia which Dr. 

 Carpenter gives in his ' Introduction to the Study of 

 the Foranimifera.' 



' In the Gromice, some forms of which inhabit fresh 

 water, whilst others are marine, the sarcode body, 

 which is of essentially the same character with that 

 of LieherJiiu'Jinia, is enclosed in a yellowish brown 

 membranous "test" of ovoidal shape, with a single 

 round orifice of moderate size, through which the 

 protoplasmic substance extends itself from the interior 

 through the surrounding medium. When the animal 

 is in a state of rest the whole of this is drawn within 

 the test ; and when its activity recommences single 

 fine processes are first put forth, which move about 

 in a groping manner until they find some surface to 

 which they may attach themselves. When this 

 attachment has taken place new sarcode flows into 

 them, so that they speedily increase in size ; and they 

 then elongate themselves by sending out finer ramify- 

 ing processes, which, in diverging from each other, 

 come into contact with those proceeding from other 

 stems, and, by nmtual fusion, form a set of inoscula- 

 tions or connecting bridges between the different 

 systems of ramifications, so that the whole becomes 

 a complicated network extending to a distance of six 

 or eight times the length of the body. This network 

 continues to undergo incessant changes, new fila- 

 ments being put forth in different directions, some- 

 times from its margin, sometimes from the midst of 

 its ramifications, whilst others are retracted. Not 



