328 Dr. G. C. Wallich on the true 



North Atlantic, I detected these very curious bodies (the 

 1 coccoliths ' of Prof. Huxley) in great numbers, occurring not 

 only in the free state noticed by Prof. Huxley, but as adjuncts 

 to minute spherical cells, upon the outer surface of which they 

 were adherent in such a manner as to leave no doubt of that 

 being their normal position. Whilst alluding to their oc- 

 currence in my published ' Notes ' [above referred to] I 

 ventured a surmise as to their being a larval condition of 

 some of the Foraminifera : — first, in consequence of their being 

 invariably present in greatest quantity in such of the deep-sea 

 deposits as were most prolific of these organisms ; secondly, 

 because in one or two instances coccoliths had been met with 

 by me adherent to Foraminiferous shells in such a manner as 

 to render it highly improbable that they could have attained 

 their position by accident ; and, lastly, because the spherical 

 cells to which reference has been made, when entirely freed 

 from their adherent coccoliths, presented no discernible points 

 of difference, save as regards somewhat inferior dimensions, 

 from the minute and nearly hyaline solitary cells of the 

 earliest stage of the Globigerina;." 



" On reference to the annexed woodcut it will be seen that the 

 composite bodies to which I allude, and to which I propose 

 to give the name of coccospheres, are minute spherical cells 

 having a defined limitary wall, and that upon their outer sur- 

 face the coccoliths of Prof. Hux- 

 ley are arranged at nearly regular 

 intervals. The cells, when crushed, 



are seen to contain a homoge- 



. ,. in , No. 1. Loccosphere with its super- 



neous, gelatinous, and almost biposed "cocco?#As." No. 2. Coc- 

 colourless matter, exhibiting no eosphere-cell without its "cocco- 

 visible trace of organization, liths." 



and, in all probability, consisting of sarcode. The Avail of 

 the cell may be distinctly seen under a high power ; but, 

 from the minuteness of the entire structure, I had found it 

 impossible to do more than attest its existence. Accordingly 

 there is nothing visible to show whether the wall is formed of 

 one or more than one layer. Cells are sometimes met with in 

 a fractured condition ; but I have never observed a collapsed 

 specimen, or flattened-out fragment, such as would frequently 

 occur were the basis of the wall formed of any thing more 

 yielding than calcareous matter. In like manner, I have 

 hitherto failed to detect markings or apertures in the limitary 

 wall of the coccosphere. The solitary cells vary in diameter 

 from thVo I0 TZtG 0I " an inch, when seen separately. 

 Forming part of a series, as in the specimen of Textidaria 



