74 TOILERS IN THE SEA. 



podia are given off principally with reference to the 

 number and position of the apertures occurring in the 

 shell. In both coalescence of the most complete kind 

 takes place immediately on the escape of the sarcode 

 stolons through the main, or secondary apertures, to 

 such an extent as occasionally to constitute a delicate 

 externally investing layer, between the inner surface 

 of which, and the outer aspect of the shell, the process 

 of mineral deposit goes on." 



In order to avoid needless repetition we would 

 refer to what we have written of the animal of the 

 Foraminifera, which corresponds so nearly with that 

 of the Polycystina. For general purposes it would 

 be sufficient to say that the animal is, practically, 

 somewhat of an Amoeba, or Actinophrys, enclosed in 

 a shell or skeleton ; and that an A moeba is one of 

 the simplest forms of animal life, consisting of a 

 single minute nodule of crystalline jelly without 

 organs of any kind. Imagine a minute speck of 

 isinglass jelly endued with life, and you have an 

 Amoeba or Proteus. It has no mouth, no eyes, no 

 legs, no hands, no feet, no stomach ; yet it performs 

 the functions of all these. No mouth, yet it extem- 

 porises a mouth from any portion of its surface, 

 involves, and draws in its prey ; no legs, yet it 

 elongates, and pushes out, any portion of its 

 gelatinous substance like a leg to move itself about ; 

 no stomach, yet it takes its food and gathers it into 



