Mr. H.J. Carter o» the Orf/ani-ation of Tnfusoriu. 115 



X I V^. — Nules on the Freshwater Infusoria of the Island of Bombay. 

 No. 1. Oryanization. ]Jy II. J. Carter, Esq., Assistant 

 Surgeon II.C.S., Bombay. 



[Witli three Plates.] 



For some time past, when circumstances would permit, I have 

 paid considerable attention to the Infusoria and Freshwater Algse 

 of the Island of Bombay, which being the same, generally, as 

 those of Europe, have not occupied me much in specific descrip- 

 tion, while they have left me comparatively uninterrupted in 

 their structural and physiological observation. How much has 

 been gained by the latter the following summary of my " Notes" 

 will show. 



I shall commence with the freshwater Rhizopoda, the Astasia 

 and Eur/lcnce; but before proceeding to remark on them sepa- 

 rately, I would premise some observations on the general organ- 

 ization of Infusoria, and these will be arranged under the fol- 

 lowing heads: — 



Pellicula, or skin. 



Diaphane, or transparent moving matter. 



Sarcode, or abdominal mucus. 



Molecula, or minute grains. 



Granules, or large grains. 



Digestive Globules, or spherical spaces which enclose the food. 



Spherical Cells, or biliary organisms. (?) 



Vesicula, or " contracting vesicle." 



Nucleus. 



Ovules, or embryonic cells. 



Spermatozoids. (?) 



Impregnation. 



Development of Ovule. 



Pellicula. — This term has been proposed by Mohl for the 

 consolidated surface of material which has no distinct enclosing 

 membrane*. Hujardin, in allusion to the tegumentary covering 

 of Amoeba, &c., likens it to the film which occurs over " flour- 

 paste or glue allowed to cool in the airf;" and the same view 

 of it will be taken here. It is at first inseparable and undi- 

 stinguishable from the tissue which lies beneath it, yielding 

 in every way to the form which the latter assumes. As, how- 

 ever, Ama'bu progresses in development, and its activity begins 

 to diminish, the pellicula appears to thicken and harden, al- 



* Mohl on the Structure of Chlorophyll. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, 

 vol. XV. ]). '^'2b, foot-note. May 1S55. 



t Hist. Nat. ties Zoophytes Infusoires, p. 2i) et seq. 



8* 



