72 Mr. W. Saville Kent on the Foraminiferal 



tion just described. The Foraminiferal nature of the orga- 

 nism and the accuracy of Mr. Carter's first deductions relating 

 thereto were now therefore established beyond dispute. 



It yet remained to witness the vital manifestations of this 

 interesting type under its normal and undisturbed conditions. 

 Placing a small group apart, and leaving them to themselves 

 for a short space, a re-examination a few hours later resulted 

 in the detection, in several instances, of slender sarcode pro- 

 longations issuing from the apical aperture and running out 

 over the surfaces of the spicula which entered so conspi- 

 cuously into the composition of the distal extremity of the 

 test. In one of the more prominent of these examples (PI. IV. 

 fig. 5) this sarcode was excurrent to a still greater extent, 

 spreading in a film-like manner over the bases of these spi- 

 cula, and extending at various points into the surrounding 

 water as shortly branching prolongations, which exhibited 

 the characteristic circulating movements. Later on, a spe- 

 cimen was encountered that has served to throw considerable 

 light on the alimentary capacities of this organism. A mass 

 of granular sarcode was here seen collected outside the termi- 

 nal aperture of the test, and adherent to it by the appendages 

 of the left side of the body the nauplian larva of some, pro- 

 bably epizoic, crustacean. The little fellow was struggling 

 violently to escape, but was evidently as securely trapped as 

 ever a bird on a lime-covered twig. Gradually the life-strug- 

 gle became weaker and weaker, and the little nauplius more 

 deeply immersed in the tenacious sarcode of its captor, the 

 whole body and remaining appendages, indeed, becoming com- 

 pletely enveloped within the next few hours. PI. IV. fig. 2 

 represents the upper portion of the test of this specimen with 

 the entrapped nauplius, shortly before its complete immersion. 

 On the following morning, about ten hours later, the capture of 

 the preceding day still occupied a closely approximate position 

 outside the aperture of the test, but was reduced by the process 

 of deglutition into an oval, apparently homogeneous, and 

 altogether irrecognizable mass. The sarcode of the foramini- 

 fer, on the other hand, evidently stimulated into active life 

 through the access of this hearty meal, presented now a 

 degree of extension and vitality that had not hitherto been 

 witnessed. While a portion of this remained collected around 

 the semidigested food-substances, the greater part was ex- 

 current in the form of slender ramifying and frequently anas- 

 tomosing pseudopodia of gossamer-like tenuity ; these ex- 

 tended beyond the field of view in every direction, and in 

 many instances formed a junction with neighbouring foreign 

 bodies. The aspect of the organism in this active condition 



