262 Mr. H. J. Carter on strange 



find their observations thus corroborated, even if, like myself, 

 they may not be able to decide on the class of beings to which 

 this strange atom of vitality belongs. 



Description of the Cell. — Cell- wall for the most part oblong, 

 cylindrical, rather bent upon itself, sometimes elliptical and 

 even globular ; for the most part rigid, but sometimes flexible, 

 and so plastic even as to exhibit a low degree of polymorphic, 

 locomotive, and reptant power ; transparent, colourless. Lined 

 with a transparent film or inner cell, within which, again, is a 

 layer of protoplasm, charged with starch-granules, sundry 

 molecules, and a nucleus which revolves longitudinally (spi- 

 rally ?) around an axial (aqueous ?) cavity. Mean size of cell 

 l-500th of an inch long by 1-1 120th broad (PL XVII. figs. 1 

 &5). 



Hob. Freshwater pool in the rice-fields of the island of 

 Bombay, which pool only contains water from about June to 

 November inclusive. In company with a great number of 

 species of Infusoria of all kinds, Algge, and some aquatic plants, 

 among which may be enumerated Anacliaris and Chara. 



Ohs. The peculiarities of this cell were especially its reni- 

 form starch-granules, by which it might be recognized at any 

 time (fig. 3,/), its rotating protoplasm, including the nucleus 

 (fig. 1, b, c), and its sometimes plastic, reptant state, in which 

 it was once observed to put forth one or two short processes 

 (fig. 6, a a). Add to this its tendency to germinate (if we 

 may apply the term to its tubular extension), which was so 

 rapid that, under the microscope, it might be almost seen to 

 grow (figs. 3, 4). That of fig. 3, e e (which, together with all 

 the other figures of this cell, is drawn on a scale of 1-1 2th to 

 l-5400th of an inch) grew l-70th of an inch in one hour, when 

 the rotatory power of the protoplasm ceased (that is, became 

 exhausted), the tubular extension stopped, and probably the 

 whole perished. In no instance was this tubular prolongation, 

 either taking place under the microscope or in specimens 

 where it had already taken place in the water previously to ex- 

 amination, observed to go, or to have gone, beyond the tubular 

 extension figured. Here the growth appeared to be always 

 arrested. Whether or not it ever went further in the natural 

 habitat of the organism I am unable to decide. 



Another common occurrence in this cell was its proneness 

 to become affected by endophytes, which (after causing in 

 their usual manner the starch-granules to disappear, and to be 

 followed by the presence of glairy oil-like albuminous (?) 

 globules) developed the contents of their respective cysts, pro- 

 bably into monociliated monads, and, piercing the cell-wall of 

 their host, thus discharged their progeny into the water 

 (figs. 7, 8, 9). 



