382 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Dec 



persed, of a Muis^li tint, globular, very granular and in 

 size v^aried from 1-2750 to 1-1800 inch. The slight con- 

 traction of the body became fainter, and in about one 

 hour there was a rapid movement of the contents of this 

 specimen, to the posterior extremity, and at the same 

 time a rupture of the seemingly dense ectoplasm of this 

 part. A number of the nuclear looking bodies, in com- 

 pany with the linear bodies and food-balls were ejected 

 from the body with considerable force, sending them a 

 distance from the body equalling one-half of its long 

 diameter. The Amoeba now seemed to collapse and the 

 contractile vesicle disappeared. 



My attention was now confined to the nuclear-look- 

 ing bodies that lay scattered about. In the course of a 

 few minutes, the granules contained in these bodies be- 

 came partially concentrated in one place in contact with 

 the ectoplasm, and was of a deeper blue in color. This 

 concentration of the granules left more than one-half of 

 each body almost clear and transparent, and in this clear 

 space there appeared simultaneously with the concentra- 

 tion, a very minute but distinct pulsating vesicle. In a 

 short while a slight movement of the body was detected 

 and there appeared a flagellum equalling in length from 

 four to five of the body's diameters and was directed 

 stiffly forward. The body now became very active and 

 in a few seconds darted off in a rapid chase about the 

 field, in an aimless manner, reminding the writer of the 

 zoospores of the AcJilya prolifcra. 



Casting a glance at the other free nuclear-looking bod- 

 ies, it was seen that most of them were undergoing the 

 same change, and they were kept under observation un- 

 til they had all disappeared from the field, in the same 

 manner. It was impossible to follow any one of these 

 zoospores, as the field had become filled with them. 



The writer now confined his attention to one of the 

 encysted Amoeba. The one selected measured 1-250 



