356 Dr. E. von Daday on a 



colour, to the shells of Difflugia and Phurophrys, led me 

 from the tirst to suppose that it consists of a chitinous foun- 

 dation-substance, in which the little angular plates are im- 

 bedded. The application of reagents in part confirmed the 

 correctness of this supposition. First of all concentrated 

 hydrochloric acid was employed, and this caused no change, 

 any more than solutions of potash and soda. The colour, 

 form, and structure remained unaltered. These results prove 

 in the first place that the angular plates do not consist of 

 carbonate of lime, but of silica, like the exactly similar plates 

 of the Difflugice, Fleuroi^liryes^ and Folijmorpkina silicea, M. 

 Sch. ,• and in the second place that the foundation-substance 

 does not consist of horny material, but most probably of 

 chitine. Concentrated sulphuric acid was then employed. 

 The shells, after lying for a long time in sulphuric acid 

 heated to boiling, lost their density and became very thin and 

 flexible; they did not, however, entirely dissolve, but the 

 septa separated, so that the shell broke up into its individual 

 chambers. From these results 1 think I am justified in 

 asserting that the foundation-substance of the shell consists of 

 a chitinous compound, which, however, is partially displaced 

 by depositioii of silica, and remains pure only in the septa, 

 as is proved by the breaking up of the shell into separate 

 chambers on the application of sulphuric acid. 



The results just communicated I think sufficiently prove 

 the correctness of the above-stated proposition, that even in 

 the chemical structure of its shell E.dzia is one of the most 

 interesting of Polythalamia, inasmuch as it combines those 

 peculiarities which separately characterize tlie chitinous and 

 sandy-shelled Kiiizopoda. Further, I may also state that in 

 this respect it comes nearer to the Dlfjiiujiu'^ Pieurophryes, 

 and sandy-shelled marine Mono- and Polythalamia than to 

 the liotalin», with which the form of its many-chambered 

 shell ranges it. 



The Scrft Body. 



Of the soft body^ the protoplasmic body, I can unfortu- 

 nately say but little, as I could not observe thePolythalamian 

 in full vital activity. I was unable to obtain specimens con- 

 taining the protoplasmic body in an uninjured state, but I 

 succeeded, by staining with carmine, at least in reiiderino- the 

 protoplasmic body distinctly visible in single chambers. 



In a preparation of a twelve-chambered specimen the ninth 

 chamber was quite filled with the stained granular proto- 

 plasm. In it an oval nucleus with two darker nucleoli was 



