34 Mr. H. J. Carter on Amoeba princeps 



These " granules " are common to all the freshwater Rhizo- 

 poda (including the amoebous cells of Spongilla), and for the 

 most part present, at the commencement at least, a greenish 

 tint. Nor are they less common in Ploesconia, Stylonychia, 

 Paramecium, and perhaps in all the Protozoa. In Paramecium 

 Aurelia they often present an acicular form, in bundles within 

 true cells (if the latter are not globular dilated spaces in the 

 sarcode) ; and here, too, they dissolve without eflfervescence under 

 the influence of nitric acid. Stylonychia, when becoming en- 

 capsuled and taking on the " still form/' gets them down to- 

 wards its posterior extremity, from which they are frequently 

 and finally discharged en masse into the capsule, with other re- 

 fuse, which probably the Stylonychia finds it disadvantageous to 

 retain in the sarcode during this passive state of its existence. 



In JEthaliu7n, one of the Myxogastres to which I have alluded, 

 there is also a great development of small, round, colourless, 

 compound, crystalloid masses, which, from their appearance and 

 ready effervescence under the influence of nitric acid, I infer to 

 be composed of carbonate of lime. 



These, probably, are analogous to the ''granules'' of the 

 Rhizopoda, and the whole, perhaps, to the r aphides of plant-cells; 

 in which case we have another point of resemblance between 

 Amoeba and the latter. 



Fat-globules (PI. III. fig. 1 k). — I would apply this term to 

 certain yellowish, semiopake, refractive spherules, which appear 

 in considerable number in the sarcode of Amoeba princeps, and 

 perhaps, more or less, in all the freshwater Rhizopoda. They 

 have always seemed to me much less prominent in appearance 

 in A. princeps than the " granules," although frequently exceed- 

 ing many of the latter in size; but their sphericity, yellowish 

 colour, and semiopacity sufficiently distinguish them from the 

 " granules." 



They have also always appeared to me largest and most nu- 

 merous where the Amoeba has been most robust ; and hence I 

 am inclined to infer that they are analogous to the fat-globules 

 of the plant-cell, more especially to those which occur about the 

 green bands of Spirogijra just previous to conjugation of the 

 filaments and spore-formation, evidencing an accumulation here 

 of nutritious matter for this purpose. And I think that I have 

 observed them to be most numerous in A. princeps just about 

 the time of the development of the reproductive cells, which will 

 presently be described. 



Here then, again, would appear to be another point of alliance 

 with the plant-cell, viz. the presence of these " fat- globules," 

 although not more here perhaps than with any other cell. 

 Digestive spaces. — Of these I need state no more than that the 



