242 ^Ir. H.J. Carter on the Oryatuzaiion of Tn/usoria. 



points of alliance which exist between the Diatomea and Eu- 

 glcnip, its mention may not prove nsch'ss or uninteresting to 

 those who are engaged in these studies. Perhaps for the j)rescnt 

 we liad better eall it the "glair-ccll." 



Here I should not omit to add, that the resting-sporc or 

 maerogonidium (Braun) of (Edoyonium developcs a number of 

 capsules like the ovules of Euylcme ; and that though they occa- 

 sionally exhibit, under the action of iodine, a blue tint, indicative 

 of their amylaceous nature, yet when fix'sh and newly formed, 

 they only take the brown-yellow one invariably j)resented by 

 the ovules of Euglcnn under the same circumstances. Similar 

 colourless capsules may also be seen moving about cells of (Edo- 

 gonium whose contents have left their walls, and appear to have 

 partially progressed towards tliat of the spore, without having 

 had strength to assume the globular form ; and these very much 

 resemble the ovules of Crumenula when moving by the aid of a 

 cilium within the effete transparent cell. All must allow, from 

 what I have stated respecting the cell-contents of (Edogonium 

 Jlavesceiis (Kg.), viz. that under favourable conditions, when the 

 cell is broken, they can leave it bodily, form into a spore, and 

 swim about by aid of their cilia, and that the germs of (Edogo- 

 nium can pierce the sheath of Oscillaioria princeps (Kg.), and ger- 

 minate between its cells, that these are jdianomena of a kind much 

 more common in the animal than in the vegetable kingdom. 



In conclusion, I have only to remark, that the reader is re- 

 quested to view all speculative suggestions in this summary of 

 my " Notes " as mere cursory observations, introduced for the 

 purpose of calling attention to subjects which are deemed worthy 

 of consideration ; the study of this part of organic creation being 

 so much in its infancy, and so intricate, that hardly anything 

 but that which has received ocular demonstration should be 

 taken for fact. 



P.S. — The following is a good illustration of what I have just 

 stated. Since writing the above, I have seen numbers of " pores " 

 in the investing membrane of Spongi//a, open, remain so, and 

 close ; admit currents of water, as ])roved by the presence of par- 

 ticles of carmine; which particles were found to have been taken 

 into the bodies of the sponge-cells and so-called " zoosperms,^' 

 and aftenvards thrown off again as the refuse of food by Amwha. 

 This last fact establishes the auimality of Spongilla. The " pores,'' 

 at times, appear to be generally closed ; hence the error of my 

 haying supposed this with a single vent to be the typical form 

 of the investing membrane of Spongilla, and the consequent in- 

 ference, that it was thus supported by endosmosis. I shall have 

 to recur to these facts more particularly hereafter. 



Bombav, 10th June 1856. 



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