90 Mr.H. J. Carter on the Freshwater Sponges of Bombay. 
shoots out digital or dentiform processes ; and that of the small- 
est, the vermiform protean (fig. 1), which progresses after the 
manner of a worm. 
They are all (like the cells of the sponge) composed of a cell- 
wall, within which are round or ovoid, green, translucent gra- 
nules, varying in size and number; and one or more hyaline 
vesicles. 
The green granules, although appearing to move over the whole 
surface of the protean in its active state, are, nevertheless, when 
it is in its globular or passive state, found to be confined to the 
upper and inner part of its cell-wall. Sometimes these granules, 
from their smallness, can hardly be recognized individually, and 
only appear in the form of a nebular mass ; this is frequently the 
case in the diffluent proteans and in those inferior to them in 
size ; at other times they are few in number and all the largest 
of their kind. 
The hyaline contracting vesicle, of which there is seldom a plu- 
rality in the smaller proteans, appears to be uninfluenced in its 
presence or development by the state of the green granules, since 
there is almost always one at least present, and in the enjoyment 
of great activity. 
Such are the changes in the contents of the seed-like body 
which are witnessed, under this mode of development, with re- 
ference to the germs; we have now to turn our attention to the 
semi-transparent mucilage, which holds the germs together 
their insulated groups, or binds them down singly to the surface 
of the vessel in which they are contained. 
This semi-transparent mucilage appears to be identical with 
the intercellular mucilage of the sponge; it exhibits the same 
phenomenon of ever undergoing a change in shape, but, as I 
have said before, I am not aware of its possessing this property, 
independently of the presence of the cells and minute germs 
which are contained in it ; neither do I know how it comes into 
existence, 2. e. whether it be the product of the germs themselves, 
or whether it be eliminated with them, in a more elementary 
transparent and invisible form, from the cells of the seed-hke 
bodies. Be this as it may, threads of it soon appear in straight 
lines extending over the surface of the watch-glass from portion 
to portion (Plate IV. fig. 1 4), and from object to object starting 
off from different points of an isolated germ—or from any point 
of a thread of it already formed—sometimes disposed in a flat 
reticulated structure over a spiculum, or on the surface of the 
glass—occasionally as broken portions like the ends of threads 
thrown together without union or order, and not unfrequently 
bearing minute germs in their course either at irregular distances 
from each other, or arranged like a string of beads. 
