THE SUN ANIMALCULE. 107 



which is thus secured and drawn towards the body 

 of its captor. What now is to happen, for there 

 is no mouth to receive it? We have seen that 

 Actinophrys is a little roundel mass of life, with 

 nothing of apparent organisation but those rayed 

 spinal filaments, no mouth or other organs ; and 

 yet it has caught a highly organised animal, which 

 it holds in its firm embrace, presumably for the 

 purpose of using it as food. Presently a slight de- 

 pression is observed in the soft protoplasmic body of 

 the Aclinophrys, which very gradually deepens and 

 expands as its victim, the rotifer, slowly descends 

 deeper and deeper to its doom in the interior. Here 

 you may still watch it. It has ceased to struggle, 

 and sometimes even seems to enjoy its novel 

 position ; for it is accommodating itself to its 

 new environment, and sets its cilia in motion as 

 if to obtain food. Not for long, however, is any 

 motion visible. The soft parts of its body are 

 gradually absorbed for the nourishment of Acti- 

 noplirys, and the delicate shell or lorica gently 

 expelled as gradually as it was drawn in, and 

 without the slightest injury being done to it. 

 How all this is done it is impossible to say, for 



