Dr. C. F. J. Lachmann on the Organization of Infusoria. 223 



of D'Orbigny, or the Polythalamia, the Amcebece, the Arcellincey 

 and the Actinophrydes^), I can add nothing fresh to the state- 

 ments of the most recent authors (especially those of Max Schultze 

 upon the Polythalamia and of Claparede upon AcfinophrT/sf). I 

 have seen the flowing of the granules in the processes of the 

 Polythalamia and in Actinophrys, their transfer from one pro- 

 cess into another which was amalgamated with it in the Poly- 

 thalamia, and the eating and conjugation of Actinoph-ys, as de- 

 scribed by the above-mentioned authors. As we know scarcely 

 anything of their reproduction, I shall not refer to it in what 

 follows. 



Besides the skin and the alimentary apparatus, two other 

 organs remain to be mentioned, as being common to all Infu- 

 soria, both of which Ehrenberg believed were to be reckoned 

 parts of the male sexual apparatus. To regard the globules 

 considered by Ehrenberg as ova (Perty's " Blastien ") as being 

 really such, in the present state of our knowledge of the Infu- 

 soria, is unnecessary, as the exclusion of brood from them has 

 never been observed, and the theoretical necessity which in- 

 duced that naturalist to give them this interpretation is fulfilled 

 by the discovery of very small embryos formed in a different 

 manner. (To these we shall refer hereafter.) The globules re- 

 garded as ova and as " Blastien," are partly the roundish cor- 

 puscles, sometimes coloured, sometimes colourless (already men- 

 tioned), which occur in the parenchyma of some Infusoria; 

 partly chyme-particles, and lastly, in part the oil-drop-like glo- 

 bules which are seen to make their appearance in the Infusoria 

 after the reception of animal food J. 



That the interpretation proposed by Ehrenberg for the two 

 organs still to be taken into consideration, namely the contrac- 

 tile space and the glanduliform body, is destitute of any certain 

 foundation, and exceedingly improbable, has already been suffi- 

 ciently demonstrated by others ; but yet no unity of opinion has 

 been arrived at vvith regard to their true signification. 



The contractile space (seminal vesicle, according to Ehrenberg) 

 is regarded by most of the recent authors, except 0. Schmidt 

 and E. Claparede, in accordance with Dujardin^s example, as a 



* Which the Acanthometrce, and probably also other creatures possess- 

 ing a siliceous skeleton, and the position of which is doubtful (the Poly- 

 cystinee of Ehrenberg, and perhaps the Sponges and Thalassicollce), appear 

 to approach in their stnicture, according to the most recent observations of 

 Claparede (Monatsbericht der Akad. der Wiss. zu Berlin, 1855, p. 6/4), 

 which I was so fortunate as to be enabled to repeat and confirm immediately 

 after they were made. 



t Translated in the Annals, vol. xv. 



X Even the yellow ova of Bursaria flava, Ehrbg., appear to be coloured 

 oil-drops. 



