116 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia 



some fixed and caipsuledEugleme (which I had had under observa- 

 tion) into granuliferous Amceba of a pinkish colour within the 

 old cell of Euglena itself (fig. 14) ; and the presence of several 

 such Amceba creeping about the watch-glass, while mauy of the 

 cells of the Euglence (viridis ?) were empty, or only contained a 

 little red efi"ete matter, left no doubt in my mind as to the origin 

 of both colour and infusorium. 



It was also observed in some instances, where the contents of 

 the Euglena had passed into an Amoebous mass, that the latter 

 underwent a kind of segmentation, so that several (perhaps 

 eight) small Amoeba were developed instead of one large one. 

 All this became confirmed on another occasion, when watching 

 some large Euglena of a purse-like or ovate form {Crumenula, 

 Dujar. ?), wherein the peculiar embryonic cells of the species 

 (fig. 11 a, b) (for each species has its peculiar-shaped cell of this 

 kind, and they are all composed like those of Spongilla, viz. of 

 a transparent compressed capsule, and a faint yellowish trans- 

 lucent nucleus of nearly equal size) had been developed. Ex- 

 pecting daily while under observation to see the embi-yonic cells 

 liberated by the rupture of the pareut-cellj I noticed on one 

 occasion that several of the latter had become surrounded re- 

 spectively by a delicate granuliferous Amceba, and from that 

 moment I knew that all further progress of the embryonic cells 

 must cease, for the Amceba appear to destroy every living or- 

 ganism which they enclose. However, in a few days the Amceba 

 had left the Euglena, but the rich green colour of the latter had 

 faded; indeed there was hardly any colour at all left, and the 

 embryonic cells, with which they were originally filled, began to 

 diminish in number, and give place, at the same time, to a uni- 

 form granular matter, which soon segmented itself into another 

 development of six or eight globular masses, much larger than 

 the embryonic cells (fig. 12). Such a process at first seemed to 

 be proper to the Euglena, as the contents of one and all suc- 

 cessively became thus afi'ected ; but presently the spii-al coats of 

 the Euglena respectively gave way, and the globular masses being 

 liberated, began to creep about under the form of Actinophrys 

 (fig. 13 fl, b). It then seemed evident that the germs of an 

 Amceba had been introduced, and that they had become deve- 

 loped in the cell of the Euglena at the expense of its embryonic 

 cells ; but whether or not they had been introduced while enve- 

 loped in the Amoeba mentioned, there are no facts to decide. 



This apparent metamorphosis of the cell-contents of Euglena 

 into Rhizopoda is not only mentioned for the purpose of in- 

 stancing another of the developments under consideration, but 

 also for preventing others from being misled, as I was myself at 



