Dr. G. C. Wallich on an undescribed Indigenous Amoeba, 367 



visible passing longitudinally through the villous tuft (Plate 

 IX. fig. 3). When this occurred, the contractile vesicle was 

 not to be seen. Minute particles of effete matter, accompanied 

 at times by shreds of sarcode, were frequently extruded at the 

 infundibuliform orifice, — their passage outwards being slow till 

 the orifice was reached, when they seemed to be forced out with 

 a jerk. On three occasions, what appeared to be a minute 

 vacuole (for it did not pulsate) was similarly extruded, its sar- 

 codic investment assuming the shape of a minute villous tuft, 

 which remained adherent for a time to the main body by a 

 slender filament, but became eventually detached when the crea- 

 ture had advanced to a sufficient distance to overcome its exten- 

 sile powers (Plate IX. fig. 4). 



It is a very curious fact that in one of the saucers into which 

 the material containing the Amoeba was placed, and in which the 

 water had been purposely allowed to evaporate to a considerable 

 extent, the whole of the specimens seemed to undergo another 

 change. This consisted in the formation of a large subspherical 

 or ovate mass of homogeneous granular matter, which occupied 

 the entire posterior* fourth of the body, causing it to bulge, 

 with more or less regularity, around the base of the villous tuft, 

 and, like the latter, never quitting that position (figs. 1, 2, & 3). 



In this phase of the Amoeba the normal erratic pseudopodia 

 were hardly ever projected, but the body maintained an elon- 

 gated cylindrical shape, with comparatively rapid flowing move- 

 ments, during the occurrence of which the villous tuft was pas- 

 sively dragged along. This granular mass at first sight resem- 

 bled a much enlarged nucleus without its containing vesicle. 

 Although its boundaries were well defined posteriorly, the granules 

 seemed to amalgamate to some extent with the general endosarc 

 anteriorly, and at times a portion of the granules left the mass 

 and took part in the general cyclosis. But in some individuals 

 the true nucleus could be seen distinctly within the boundary 

 line of the granular mass, although it was impossible to deter- 

 mine whether it was actually imbedded in its centre, or occu- 

 pied a position externally to it but within the ectosarc. In 

 these specimens the contractile vesicle was not observed to 

 undergo its normal diastolic and systolic action ; and hence it is 

 possible that the vesicles seen may in reality have been vacuoles, 

 in this condition of the organism. At all ^events, further infor- 

 mation is requisite before the point can be accurately ascertained. 



It is highly probable, however, that the granular mass referred 



* Reptation is so manifest in these Amcebce, and the direction of their 

 movements is so uniformly opposite to that in which the villous area is 

 situated, that I have deemed it legitimate to employ the terms anterior and 

 posterior in my description of the parts. ; 



