Strange Phenomena in a Microscopic Cell. 2G1 



XXXIV. — Strange Phenomena in a Microscopic Cell. 

 By II. J. Carter, F.R.S. &c. 



[Plate XVII. figs. 1-9.] 



There is, or was, a slight cle})ression in tlie rice-fields of the 

 island of Bombay which are situated on the eastern side of 

 the main road leading from Ghorpiidevi to Chinch Pougly 

 (now laid down as the " Frere Land Company"), close to a 

 shed in which buffaloes were kept ; and during the rainy mon- 

 soon (that is, in our summer) this depression was always fiUi.'d 

 with water, into which the buffalo-shed drained itself. By the 

 end of June a pool was thus formed ; and by the month of 

 August it abounded with many species of Infusoria, together 

 with some aquatic plants, among which were Anacharis and 

 Chara. To this pool I was often wont to go for microscopic 

 objects, bringing away some of its water with me, and finally 

 depositing it in basins for more deliberate examination. 



On the 9th of August, 1856, while looking at the sediment 

 of a basin of this water, which with a hair-pencil had been 

 swept off the side and placed under the microscope, I perceived 

 a transparent, oblong, colourless cell containing protoplasm 

 charged with starch-granules, Avhicli proto})lasm was cir- 

 culating round it precisely like that in a living cell of the 

 Characea3 ; and after watching it for some time, a nijiple-like 

 portion began to project from one end of the cell, which, gra- 

 dually extending itself into a long tube, was also accompanied 

 by a corresponding diverticulum of the stream or cell of ro- 

 tating protoplasm and starch-granules to its extremity, so long 

 as it continued to grow. This cell was tolerably abundant in 

 the water ; and having often seen it during the month of 

 August of two successive years, I concluded that it usually 

 made its appearance in this pool about the time mentioned ; 

 but I never found it in the water of any other pool or tank in 

 the island of Bombay. (Plate XVII. figs. 1, 2.) 



To meet with a colourless transparent cell not more than 

 the 500th part of an inch long and much less in breadth, pre- 

 senting an active, rotatory protoplasm densely charged Avitli 

 starch-granules of a })eculiar shape, and putting forth a tubular 

 prolongation, into which was extended the same circulation so 

 long as the tube continued to grow, was at once so novel and 

 so enigmatical, that I determined to record all that I could 

 about it, although I might fail to find out its real parentage. 



The detail of this record I will now give, beginning with a 

 description of the cell, and then adding the phenoniena which 

 attended it, in order that others who have heretofore met, or 

 may hereafter meet, with the same kind of organism, may also 



