found in many Fossilized Foraminifera. 267 



clearly demonstrates the following facts as regards the "scarlet 

 spherules," viz. : — 



At the earliest stage in which they can be distinguished 

 they are colourless or slightly opaque, indistinct, and situated 

 singly in the cells of an areolar structure which fills the 

 chamber of the Nuramulite. Next they present themselves 

 in a more defined form, of an opaque yellowish-white colour, 

 but still adherent to each other or clustered. In a third stage 

 they are more separated, semitransparent, and of a brown 

 colour, recalling to mind, from their sphericity, when imbedded 

 in clear calcspar, ova in the " hard roe of a herring." Lastly, 

 they present themselves as the '' opaque scarlet spherules " 

 above mentioned. 



In size the " scarlet spherules " vary from l-600th in. 

 down to about l-7000th in. in diameter, which is that of the 

 interior of the intercameral tubes, in which they may be seen 

 to be arranged linearly, by reason of the narrowness of the 

 tubes, while in their larger forms they may also be seen in 

 the chambers and in the vessels of the canal-system, grouped 

 in the former, and linearly arranged if in plurality in the 

 latter, for the same reason. But, wherever they may be, 

 they are alioays confined to the sarcodiferous cavities of the 

 test, by which they cannot be confounded with any z'norganic 

 mineralization. 



In number they are most abundant where developed in the 

 areolar tissue of the chambers, when they are of medium size, 

 and each areolar cell appears to be tenanted by only one 

 body ; when a little larger and in an opaque scarlet state they 

 are less numerous, but vary much in this respect as well as in 

 size in the chambers where they may be present, unless one 

 or more have passed into one of the vessels of the canal- 

 system, in which case they are from its narrowness, as before 

 stated, single, or if in plurality linearly disposed ; lastly, in 

 their largest form, that is when l-600th in. in diameter, they 

 are generally single in a chamber where there appears to be 

 nothing else, when they may be seen to be composed of a 

 delicate spherical capsule filled with extremely minute opaque 

 red spherules. 



Under such circumstances it is hardly possible to regard 

 these bodies otherwise than as elements of reproduction, 

 even if we had not recent specimens (where of course they are 

 not redj as this is the effect of mineralization) to compare 

 them with ; while they are so abundant in some specimens 

 of these infiltrated Nummulites as to fill not only the large 

 marginal chamber but the whole of the shoulder-like processes 

 of tills cavity, which are extended laterally on both sides of 



