138 UPLAND AND MEADOW, 



periphery and, to a much less extent, the deeper portion 

 of the endoplasm are tinged, the color, which appears 

 to be a stain and not an aggregation of particles, being 

 collected in a layer near the cnticular surface, with a 

 quite sharply defined line of demarcation between the 

 lower margin and the internal body-sarcode. 



" Tlieir numbers are not great ; perhaps a dozen were 

 noted in the contents of the rectum. Neither are they 

 always to be found. Compared with its more numerous 

 associates, however, this yellow creature is a giant among 

 pygmies, and it rotates through the mass with a care- 

 lessness as to results quite in keeping with its bulk. It 

 measures from ^^ to g-l^ inch in length. 



" The intestinal fluid seemed thickened by the throng 

 of bacteria, bacilli, vibriones, and spirilla accompanying 

 the Opalinae ; and associated with them was not only an 

 undescribed flagellate zooid, but a large species of Opa- 

 lina, which I have, after some hesitation, identified with 

 0. ranarum Purk. Their appearance and structure are 

 those of the latter, but the size is mucli less. They are 

 quite active. As they pressed each other beneath the 

 surface or forced each other upward, the aspect of the 

 field of view was comically like a pool of furiously 

 boiling soup with big dumplings bobbing about." 



During this simple series of observations of young 

 spade-foots in confinement, I watched also the develop- 

 ment of those left in the sink-hole. The water there 

 soon was confined to mere puddles concealed in the 

 dead leaves, and before the young had their limbs fully 

 developed the depth was nowhere sufiieient to permit 

 of swimming. Three days in advance of the maturing 



