312 .Mr. 11. .1. Carter on Squaumlina scopiila, 



one of my own, in order that henceforth all connecting Sgiia- 

 muJina scojmla with the sponges may be abandoned. How 

 Dr. Bowerbank could have placed it among the sponges, 

 when he states that he was unable '^ to detect either oscula or 

 pores," and observed that the " globular heads " of the spicules 

 were outwards {op. cit.), I am at a loss to conceive. At the 

 same time this mistake points out to us how very careful we 

 should be when we come to the nice distinctions that exist 

 between the Foraminifera and the Sponges, especially in the 

 minuter forms, where deciding upon mere resemblances is as 

 dangerous as denying the presence of pores or oscula in cither 

 class where we cannot immediately see them with our micro- 

 scopes. 



I first found Squamulina scopuJa^ on Phyllophora rubenSj in 

 November last (1869), and, after drying the specimens for 

 examination with the microscope, was struck with the septated 

 appearance of the bottom or discoidal part of the pedestal, 

 which generally adheres to the fucus when the test is broken 

 oft" in the dried state — an appearance so like the septal divi- 

 sions of a coral-polype that I began to think that the organism 

 must in some way be allied to these animals. 



Resolved, therefore, to take the earliest opportunity of fur- 

 ther prosecuting this inquiry, I in vain sought for more .spe- 

 cimens of this little organism on pieces of Fhyllophora ] and, 

 seeing the ordeal to which they must be exposed in passing 

 through the "hurly-burly" of pebbles, waves, and sand, before 

 they could reach the shore in safety, I had nearly given up 

 all idea of success, when, one day in January last, I discovered 

 it on fresh specimens of the purse-like root of Laminaria hul- 

 hosa, especially on and about the rootlets projecting from the 

 part next the rock on which it grows — the only position, per- 

 naps, except by mere chance, in which it could be landed 

 intact — ana after this, obtained an abundant supply from these 

 roots, all in a h'vi'ng state, but, of course, much washed by 

 having undergone the exposure to which I have alluded. 



By the different aids which those accustomed to the exami- 

 nation of micro.scopic objects are in the habit of applying, I 

 have been able to analyze this little organism, so as to obtain 

 the facts given in the above description. 



Examined in the wet way while living, or preserved in 

 spirit and water, by crushing and sectioning, examined in 

 the dried state, and with parts mounted in balsam, all these 

 facts may respectively be obtained ; but here, as in every thing 

 else, patience, endurance, and perseverance are npcessary to 

 success, bearing always in mind that every s]iorimen when 

 examined, in part or entire, will probably afford .something 



