282 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Oct., 



Frequently the animal is found in the quiescent state when 

 it takes on a smooth round or oval form. At such times, short 

 finger-like processes may be seen pushing out from the ball and 

 then being drawn in again. In the active form these processes 

 take on a great variety of shapes resembling clubs, potatoes, or 

 a body with many arms and branches. Figure 1 represents the 

 quiescent form, while the changes of the active state are shown 

 in the succeeding figures. Sometimes multitudes are found 

 joined together in an irregular network or continuous sheet. So 

 far as the writer's observation goes, these are simply individ- 

 uals in close contact. Neither among these films, nor among 

 individuals was anything like real fusion observed. During the 

 month of March of the present year a gathering from the tanks 

 of the Phipps Conservatory in the Allegheny public parks 

 yielded many films quite free from the mud which usually ob- 

 scures them. The observations here recorded are the result of 

 an examination of this githering. Naturally there was a curi- 

 osity to see if there was anything like fusion or conjugation 

 among such a multitude, but careful and long continued search 

 did not reveal it. In every case the patches were found to be 

 composed of individuals, each with its own separate nucleus 

 and contractile vesicle. Tne line of junction between contig- 

 uous Amoebas was always discernable. Once in a while indi- 

 viduals were seen to detach themselves from the patches and 

 move away in search of food. 



During the examination of these patches a remarkable and 

 unexpected thing was noticed. Many Amoebas were found united 

 together not in films, butin a linear series of three to sixand even 

 ten individuals. Here, also, there was only a close contact and 

 nothing like fusion. It was thought that the individuals would 

 move in different directions and so pull the lines to pieces, but 

 nothing of the kind happened. In a long time of ten Amoebas, 

 four near the lower end were observed in motion at the same 

 time, all advancing towards the left and in a direction at right 

 angles to the line. This was indeed a veritable phalanx of Amoe- 

 bas. The fact that several such lines were seen makes one 

 wonder at its significance. That this linear arrangement was 

 purely accidental does not seem altogether probable. Figure 2 

 shows the appearance of their curious line. 



As some think, Amoeba films may be connected with the pro- 



