188a.J 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



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*»^AV 



deed, the alteration is not confined to 

 the foot-stalks of these two species, 

 but occasionally even manifests itself 

 in the stem of the very common and 

 abundant Codosiga botrytls (Ehr.) 

 S. K. It therefore seems probable 

 that the change is not an abnormal 

 one in any of the order. This altera- 

 tion from a hyaline, slightly greenish 

 tint to the translucent, chestnut-brown 

 hue calls to mind a similar change of 

 coloration, after maturity, in the lori- 

 ca^ of Cothurnia, Pyxicola, and other 

 members of the Vagico 

 Una, and suggests the pro- 

 bability of a similar chem- 

 ical composition. 



A colony of C. utri- 

 ciilus is shown in fig. 2 

 magnified •625 diameters. 



Kent describes a variety 

 of Codosiga U7nbellata 

 differing from his type 

 only in the method of di- 

 vision of the foot-stalk, 

 one having three branches 

 to the main rachis and to 

 each of the secondary di- 

 visions, the other with 

 four to each of these parts. 

 The English scientist 

 states that the former is the 

 more prevalent (indeed he 

 has never met with the 

 latter), and seems sur- 

 prised that such should 

 lie the case, since it would 

 appear so much easier and 

 natural for a single col- 

 lared zooid to undergo 

 longitudinal fission four 

 times and thus build up a 

 colony whose primary 

 foot-stalk should bear four 

 branches, each of the lat- '*' 



ler also subdividing into the same num- 

 ber of branchlets. He furthermore 

 c|uestions. but finally accepts, the spe- 

 cific identity of the two forms, con- 

 cluding that the colony supported by 

 the bitripartite pedicel is the type, the 

 ([uadripartite being a variety only, ap- 

 parently basing his opinion upon the 

 relative abundance of the former. 



That these two methods of pedicel 

 subdivision indicate two distinct spe- 

 cies seems to me correct, but having 

 recently obtained both forms of these 

 elegant creatures in some profusion, 

 I am inclined to the converse of the 

 English scientist's opinion and to ac- 

 cept the quadripartite pedicel as that 

 of the type, and the other, not as a va- 

 riety, but as a distinct species. Tatem 

 discovered and described the quadri- 

 partite colony as a new species of 

 Epistylis under the name R. iimbel- 

 lata^ failing to re- 

 y" '~' f ognize the delicate, 

 / J collar-like exten- 

 '"■> _^f sion of sarcode sur- 

 =y mounting the body 

 < I j iind enclosing the 

 / / / Hagellum, this hav- 

 ' ing been previous- 



V . 



h accomplished by Prof. H. James 

 Clark, in our own country. It would 

 therefore seem only just, if there were 

 no other reason, that ihe specific title 

 should be restricted to those colonies 

 with four branches to the main rachis 

 with a quadrifid subdivision of each 

 into branchlets. Indeed, it is hardly 

 probable, although possible, that crea- 



