British species of the genus Lagena. 5 



name of Miliola ficus ; which name had been given to it by M. 

 Ehrenberg. Along with these were specimens of Lagena glo~ 

 bosa (one of the species characterized by an internal tube), to 

 which Avas affixed by Ehrenberg the very expressive name of En- 

 tosolenia miliar is ? Hence it was evident that the great Prussian 

 naturalist had observed the same peculiarity of structure in the 

 species exhibiting the internal tube, and had given to the objects 

 characterized by it the very expressive name of Entosolenia, 

 which name it is my intention to retain, in separating the exist- 

 ing genus Lagena into two distinct groups 



Beyond all doubt, Ehrenberg, MacGillivray and Fleming are 

 correct in classing the Lagena near the Foraminifera instead of 

 separating them as was done by Dessalines D'Orbigny. Several 

 of the species, when mounted in Canada balsam and examined 

 under a high magnifying power* as transparent objects, show 

 the whole of the calcareous parietes of the cell to be crowded with 

 innumerable minute perforations; a structure identical with that of 

 Rotalia Beccarii and many other well-known Foraminifera, when 

 examined under similar circumstances. Some species exhibit 

 traces of much larger foramina ; but whether these are normal 

 or have been the result of accident, I am as yet undecided. The 

 above fact however is sufficient to prove, that in their external 

 microscopic structure there is a close affinity between the Lagence 

 and the other Foraminifera. 



As regards the soft animal of Lagena, I have not been able 

 to ascertain that anything has been done, or that any one has 

 hitherto examined it in a living state. This probably arises from 

 the fact that all collectors have obtained their specimens from 

 dried sea sand. Still however some little light may be thrown 

 upon it from the affinity of these objects to the other Foraminifera. 



Ehrenberg has investigated the nature of the soft parts of some 

 of the latter group of organisms with considerable success. He 

 considers that each cell of a Foraminifer, except the two first, which 

 he found to contain a transparent substance, is filled with two 

 differently coloured organs, which he regards as the thick alimen- 

 tary canal ; and some granular masses, which he suggests may be 

 ovariesf. He also found that the animals had the power of pro- 



* One of one-fourth of an inch focus will suffice. 



f In none of the numerous specimens I have examined have I found 

 anything analogous to ovaries. Many of them contain a great abundance 

 of oil-globules, which in the dried specimens become inspissated and hard- 

 ened, adhering to the sides of the cells, and which on decalcification pre- 

 sent an aspect very like that of ova. I suspect that the small round objects 

 found by Dr. Mantell in connexion with the fossilized animal bodies of 

 Rotal'ice from the Folkstone chalk may be nothing more than these. At 

 least they are undistinguishable from the recent specimens in my cabinet. 

 See Philosophical Transactions, Part 4 for 1846, tab. 21. figs. 5, 10 & 11. 



