Miscellaneous. 161 
the animal measures from ;/, to 1; of a line in diameter ; and the 
zone is from =}, to 5}, of a line wide. The species may be named 
AM@BA ZONALIS. . 
The interesting researches of Prof. Richard Greef, of Marburg, 
published in the second volume of Schultze’s ‘ Archiv ‘f. mikro- 
skopische Anatomie,’ on Amebe living in the earth (“ Ueber einige 
in der Erde lebende Amceben, &c.”), led me to look in similar posi- 
tions for Rhizopods. 
In the earth, about the roots of mosses growing in the crevices 
of the bricks of our city pavements, in damp places, besides finding 
several species of Ameba, together with abundance of the common 
wheel-animalcule, Rotifer vulgaris, I had the good fortune to dis- 
cover a species of Gromia. I say good fortune; for it is with the 
utmost pleasure I have watched this curious creature for hours 
together. The genus was discovered and well described by Du- 
jardin from two species, one of which, G. oviformis, was found in 
the seas of France; the other, the G. fluviatilis, in the river 
Seine. 
Imagine an animal, like one of our autumnal spiders, stationed 
at the centre of its well-spread net; imagine every thread of this 
net to be a living extension of the animal, elongating, branching, 
and becoming confluent so as to form a most intricate net; and 
imagine every thread to exhibit actively moving currents of a viscid 
liquid, both outward and inward, carrying along particles of food 
and dirt, and you have some idea of the general character of a 
Gromia. 
The Gromia of our pavements is a spherical cream-coloured body, 
about ;4, of a line in diameter. When detached from its posi- 
tion and placed in water, in a few minutes it projects in all direc- 
tions a most wonderful and intricate net. Along the threads of this 
net float minute Navicule from the neighbourhood, like boats in the 
current of a stream, until reaching the central mass they are there 
swallowed. Particles of dirt are also collected from all directions, 
and are accumulated around the animal; and when the accumulation 
is sufficient to protect it, the web is withdrawn, and nothing appa- 
rently will again induce the animal to produce it. 
From these observations we may suppose that the Gromra TERRI- 
coLA, as I propose to name the species, during dry weather remains 
quiescent and concealed among accumulated dirt in the crevices of 
our pavements, but that in rains or wet weather the little creature 
puts forth its living net, which becomes so many avenues along 
which food is conveyed to the body. As the neighbourhood becomes 
dry, the net is withdrawn to await another rain. The animal with 
its extended net can cover an area of nearly half a line in diameter. 
The threads of the net are less than the ,,1,, of an inch in dia- 
meter.— Proc. Acad. Nat, Sct. Phil. 1874, p. 88. 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol. xv. oi 
