18 A Monograpli of the Myxogastres. 



seen, under a Beck's y^^th immersion lens, to be drawn in and 

 conveyed into freshly formed vacuoles. 



"I have repeatedly seen bacteria taken by swarm-cells of 

 Chondrioderma diffonnc in the manner above described, and it 

 would appear that bacteria form their principal food. On one 

 occasion I had a favourable opportunity for observing the 

 digestion of bacilli on account of the quiescent state assumed 

 by a swarm-cell, which remained with little active movement 

 for an hour and a half. On the previous evening I had placed 

 some spores of Chondrioderma difforme in water under a thin 

 cover-slip ; on the following morning swarm-cells were in great 

 abundance in the pure water. I introduced a drop containing 

 multitudes of bacilli from a glass in which a piece of Stcreum 

 hirsutum had been soaking for several days. In a short time 

 a number of the swarm-cells were seen, attended by bacilli, 

 some of which were attached to their pseudopodia, and some 

 were already enclosed in vacuoles. The swarm-cell in question 

 had taken an amoeboid form, occasionally producing and again 

 withdrawing the cilium, while from time to time thin pseudo- 

 podia were extended from the opposite end, but more frequently 

 the posterior region expanded into a somewhat funnel-shaped 

 mouth. Into such an expansion a stout bacillus, about 2 ii long, 

 was seen to enter; in the course of a few seconds it was 

 enclosed with a noticeable amount of water, by the folding over 

 of the lips of the funnel, and conveyed into the body-substance ; 

 a few minutes after, another bacillus was taken in, much in 

 the same manner, but no globule of water was introduced. Ten 

 minutes later a large bacillus, 4 /m x 0"75 /x, was caught by a 

 prolongation of one side of the funnel, and in the course of 

 half a minute a tube-like extension of protoplasmic substance 

 invested the bacillus, and it was drawn in. It remained for 

 a short time in direct contact with the granular matter of the 

 body, but was soon surrounded by an oval vacuole. The 

 swarm-cell continued inactive for nearly an hour, when it 

 assumed an extended form, and shortly after swam away with 

 rapid jogging movement. Constant observation was maintained 

 during this hour, and the bacilh were seen gradually to dissolve 



