THE PROTEOMYXA 



amoebulae either grow and become Actinophrys-like in form (Vam- 

 pyrella) or unite to form plasmodia (Leptophrys, Endyonema, etc.). 



The flagellulae are provided usually with one, but sometimes 

 two (DiplopJiysalis, Gymnococcus) whip-like cilia, and sometimes also 

 with a vacuole. They sometimes swim about actively and attack 

 the organisms on which they feed (Colpodella, Fig. 8, A); but usually 

 they soon withdraw their cilia and become amoeboid in shape, and 

 the amoebulae thus formed either unite to form plasmodia or grow 

 independently into the adult form. 



The classification of Proteomyxa has always presented innumer- 

 able difficulties, and even at the present day our knowledge is so 

 incomplete that nothing better than a tentative arrangement of the 

 genera can be suggested. 



A large number of the genera were placed in a division 

 (Monadineae) of the Mycetozoa (Pilzthiere) by Zopf, others are 

 regarded as Foraminifera nuda by Rhumbler, and Biitschli included 

 several of the genera in the Heliozoa. 



Zopf further divided his genera into two groups, the Mona- 

 dineae azoosporeae and the Monadineae zoosporeae. In the former 

 the cysts give rise to amoebulae, and in the latter to flagellulae. 

 It does not appear satisfactory, however, to use the characters 

 of the swarm-spores alone as a basis of classification. Pseudospwa, 

 with a flagellate zoospore, is clearly related to Vampyrella and 

 its allies, which have an amoebulate zoospore ; and Enteromyxa, 

 Myxastrum, and other genera, with an amoebulate zoospore, appear 

 to have no close relation to Vampyrella. 



Fia. 4. 



Monobia confluens. A number of individuals connected together by protoplasmic strands 

 to form a loose meshwork colony. (After Schneider.) 



In attempting to classify the Proteomyxa, certain genera stand 

 out as clearly related to other groups of Protozoa. Thus Monobia, 

 is closely related to the Heliozoa, Protogenes to the Foraminifera, 

 Protamoeba and Gloidium to the Gymnamoebida, and Plasmodiophora 



