288 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Organization of Infusoria. 



of their own. Not only that, but in a pool here (Bombay) where 

 Ejristylis abounds, the same kind of Acineta, apparently, which 

 accompanies it, abounds also on the web of the frog's feet which 

 live in this pool — thus assuming- the position of an epizoon ; 

 while the cases described and figured by Stein and Colin, in 

 which the globular form (Podophrya) has been developed singly 

 or in great plurality in the interior of Stylonychia, Nassula, &c, 

 may afford instances of entozoic Acineta. 



Directing our attention to the phases presented by the globular 

 Acineta, one of the most striking phenomena exhibited by it is 

 the projection of cilia which takes place round the half which is 

 to swim about, just before its separation from the other half, 

 during duplicative division, since it affords us an instance in 

 which cilia can be put forth and retracted by a previously un- 

 ciliated Infusorium, the cilia disappearing on the protrusion of 

 the capitate tentacula, unless the same material can be put forth 

 under different forms. Be this as it may, the cilia are present, 

 and their retraction, &c, take place also in the gemma, and 

 their presence in both instances appears to be for enabling 

 the Acineta to seek for some living Infusorium upon which to 

 fix itself for food. The swimming away of one while the other 

 half remains stationary, in the duplicative division, seems to 

 show that, when this mode of reproduction takes place in Infu- 

 soria, there is always one half older than the other, which is, as 

 it were, the stock, and therefore the young half the bud. 



Pyt hium entophytum, Pringsheim*. 



Not altogether unconnected with the foregoing subject is the 

 development which I have described and figured in different 

 parts of the 'Annals/ since 1855, in the cells of the Characece, 

 Spirogyra, (Edogonium, &c, and in the bodies of Rotatoria and 

 in the egg of Nais fusca. 



This development I at first tried to prove to be parasitic ; then 

 I thought it was a simple transformation of the protoplasm from 

 one form into another ; and, again, now I am compelled to view 

 all these developments as originating from germs previously 

 existing in the midst of the protoplasm when not obviously 

 introduced. 



Nothing, however, has impressed me with this belief so much 

 as Prof. Pringsheim's descriptions and illustrations of the con- 

 jugation which takes place between the sporangium and fila- 

 ments of the other species of this genus, to which he has given 

 the name of Pythium monospermum (/. c), while at p. 366 (/. c.) 

 he states that, although he had not seen the fecundation of Py- 



* Ann. des Sc. Nat. xi. p. 354, pi. 7- fig. 1 (Bot.), 1S59. 



