920 



THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



At first it emits numerous cylindrical hyaline pseudopodia, in later stages short 

 broad processes, by which it gathers its food. When it encysts, it secretes a thin 

 membrane, contracts, especially in breadth, and is by degrees segmented into a 

 number of rounded portions. Each portion becomes multangular, secretes a tough 

 membrane and breaks up into two or several, rarely many, resting-spores. The 

 latter are ellipsoidal or bean-shaped with a membrane. The sporocyst is frequently 

 violet in colour. 



There remain a few amoeboid forms not included in the above described 

 groups. Boderia is marine, yV~J ^ nc ^ * n s ^ ze ' orange or brown in colour, of varying 

 shape, with a membranous investment (?) from openings in which protrude 3-4, 

 sometimes more, long and branched pseudopodia with granule streaming. It has 

 one or more nuclei (?). Gymnophrys cometa is non-nucleate, marine and freshwater, 

 naked, colourless, with a few branched and anastomosing pseudopodia displaying 

 granule streaming. Biomyxa vagans is also marine and freshwater. It is amoeboid 

 and passes through most varied changes of form, from a Heliozoon-like aspect to a 

 network. It has minute contractile vacuoles, and many nuclei. Protamoeba is 

 non-nucleate, with pseudopodia not branched nor anastomosing, varying in shape 

 but constant in different species ; of variable size, multiplying by fission. Its 

 different species are found in either fresh or salt water. The freshwater Gloidium 

 closely resembles a Protamoeba. It has lobose pseudopodia, a contractile vacuole, 

 and divides simultaneously into four parts while in a mobile condition. It 

 surrounds itself sometimes with a laminated cyst. Protogenes is marine, non- 

 nucleate, globular or irregular in shape, with fine branched and anastomosing pseudo- 

 podia. Binary fission has been observed. Arachnula impatiens is a fresh or 

 brackish water form, rapid in motion, non-nucleate, with contractile vacuoles, the 

 pseudopodia a little branched, sometimes anastomosing, generally originating from 

 lobes which appear at any part of the body. The latter is usually drawn out into a 

 narrow band. A transparent cyst has been observed. The Monopodium of 

 Mereschkowski appears to be identical with the Aletium of Trinchesi. It is 

 marine, and found attached by a pseudopodium to the algal Chaetomorpha or Lepto- 

 thrix (Lingbya) and is characterised by its mode of locomotion. It throws out a 

 long pseudopodium which attaches itself to another algal filament and then draws 

 the body onwards, releasing afterwards the original pseudopodium of attachment. 

 Trinchesi describes Aletium at rest as pyriform, 3 mm. long, yellow in colour, 

 feeding on the Chaetomorpha, and giving off branched pseudopodia. He observed 

 it resolved into a number of globular bodies held together by a colourless mass and 

 in one instance showing amoeboid motions. Mereschkowski witnessed the fusion 

 of two individuals, the resulting mass breaking up into three. Protobathybius is the 

 name given by Bessels to large masses of free protoplasm dredged in Smith's Sound 

 at a depth of 92 fathoms. The protoplasm has the form of a sticky network, which 

 shows amoeboid motion, and takes up foreign bodies. A similar organism, known 

 by the name of Bathybius Haeckelii, was supposed by several authorities to cover the 

 bottom of the deep sea with a living network of protoplasm. It has been recently 

 determined to be a colloid precipitate of Calcium sulphate, thrown down from the sea- 

 water by the action of Alcohol on the specimens of sea-bottom in which it was 

 found. 



Two remarkable Protozoan parasites recently discovered may be mentioned 

 here. One has been found in the sputum of whooping-cough. It has the form of 



