2.S6 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[Oct., 



continupd to vil>rato. Revivini; in a short time, its violent contor- 

 tions piirtly l\)rceil i\sk\e the walls of the cavity making an open- 

 ing through which with some difficulty it squeezed out and es- 

 caped. The phases of this contest an> shown in Figures 6, 7 

 and 8, 



Not long after, another battle was witnessed in the micros- 

 copic arena wherein the Amceba triumphed. Here two Annebas 

 werejoineil together and so ren)ained while only one of them 

 attacked and captured the prey. The seond Amoeba kept ex- 

 tending protrusions towards the prey but did not come close 

 enough. In this instance the posterior extremity of the Sten- 

 tor was bulged out into a round mass w'hich the Amteba was ac- 



FIG. C— TWOAM<KHAS KNCLOSING .\ STENT(»K WHICH. INSTKAIt OK IKYING TO 

 SWIM AW.W, CONTKACTSWITHIN THECAVITY. 



FIG. 7.— THE SAME STKNTOB AS FIGURE COMI'LKTEI-V ENCLdSED IN THE CAY- 

 ITY BCTWEEN THE TWO .\M<EUAS. 



tively striving to enclose. Like another example, the imp(;r- 

 illed animalcule, while making violent contortions, lacked the 

 wit to loo.sen its foot and flee from the deadly embrace. Instead 

 of this it seemed to choose an evil for a good, for it simf>]y held 

 onto the glass and struggled until it tore off and left behind a 

 large part of itself to gratify the ravenous appetite of its captor. 

 The remaining part sailed away badly mutilated. Figures 9 

 and 10 illustrate this last combat and its result. 



From the foregoing incidents it would seem that Amoeba has 

 a special preference for Stentor as its j)rey. Other organisms, 

 upon which Anxpha. feeds were scarcely touched at the time 

 while contact with a Stentor almost invariably led to an eager 



