them, dissolves whatever is digestible, and the:: Tth their 



empty* shells. 





The sea-side visitor who \vill be at the trouble of placing a little 

 sea-weed, Iresli gathered from the rocks, in a ; tilled 



\\ith its native element, and allowing it to remain fora lew hours 

 undisturbed, will occasionally find, clin^in^ to the sides of the 

 i^lass, lilmy patches. >o small as to be inconspu 

 the assistance of a lens, which change their form and i;lide aloni; 

 with slow hut equable movement, \\~hen magnified, their central 

 body will be seen to throw out threads resembling filaments of 

 melted i;lass, which spread \\ , in all directions; and as 



these creatures seem to use their root-like filament- . they 



are named Rhizopods that is, root-fo^cd animals. Tin , 

 in truth, marine forms of the .-J;/;r/\7 we have just been describing. 

 Ironi which, houcvcr, they differ in beini;' able to construe: 

 themselves shelly coverings, pcrfo:. innumerable littl, 



:. : fM, through which their root -like filaments (psattb- 

 f<>ih'ti)* are }>rotnuUxl. l : rom this circumstance, the shells and 

 the creatures inhabiting them have been named Foraininifera.t 



* K;ll-> 



f Foramen, ,v. 



