150 ZOOLOGY* 



sent out from a film of jelly which surrounds the surface 

 of the shell. This, however, is in direct communication 

 with the sarcode in the interior. 



These Foraminifera are extremely abundant, being, 



Fia. 61. GROUP OF FORAMINIFERA. 



probably, more numerous than all other animals together. 

 They are generally marine, and, in some countries, form 

 a large portion of the sand on the sea-shore. Along a 

 part of the west coast of Ireland, the whole sea-beach for 

 miles is mainly composed of their remains. They also 

 cover a wide area of the bottom of the North Atlantic. 

 They been have dredged up from a depth of three miles in 

 this ocean. A mass of these shells has the appearance of 

 white mud. Chalk, which forms in many countries an 



