24 THE EUGL YPH^E. PART in. 



mouth of the shell at one end, while the other end has 

 an adhesive property, which fixes it to the bottom. 

 The nucleus and contractile vesicles are identical in 

 character with those of the Amoebae, and exhibit the 

 same tendency to subdivision at certain periods of the 

 creature's history that is witnessed on a large scale in 

 the Amoeba proper ; and the reproductive process is the 

 same. 5 



The Difflugise are found in rivulets and pools con- 

 taining aquatic plants ; the condition of the water and 

 the nature of the soil have a great influence on the 

 form of their shell. 



The Euglyphse is the third group of fresh-water rhi- 

 zopods. They are extremely minute, and there are no 

 mineral particles whatever on their shells, the axes of 

 which do not coincide with the aperture. The interior 

 of the animal is like that of the Arcella and Difflugia, 

 but it differs from them in as much as the pseudopodia 

 and ectosarc, or external coat, are finely granular, and 

 the whole mass of the body possesses a decided degree 

 of adhesive viscidity. The pseudopodia are filiform, 

 tapering, radiating, and readily coalesce ; and * as if to 

 compensate for the restricted power of locomotion, 

 compared with that of the Amceba proper, the pseudo- 

 podia of the Euglyphse are much more active. The 

 rapidity with which they admit of being projected 

 outwards, and withdrawn into the shell, is unequalled 

 in any other form, presenting the most wonderful ex- 

 ample of inherent contractility in an amorphous animal 

 substance, that is to be met with in either of the great 

 organic kingdoms.' 6 



The order Eeticularia, with a very few exceptions, 

 are animals dwelling in calcareous microscopic shells, 

 and differing essentially in constitution from all the 



5 'On Difflugian Khizopods/ by 'a. C. Wallich JM.D. Annals of Natural 

 History, March, 1864, Dr. Wallich. 



