52 Prof. G. Gulliver on the Raphides of Rubiacece. 



Fig. 6. Fimgus(?)-cell, j^th of an inch long, transparent, oval, sometimes 

 subpolymorphic, containing protoplasm (charged with triangular 

 starch-grains) in rotation ; b, Actinophrys extracting the starch- 

 grains.^ — Of this extraordinary cell, which was found annually in 

 great abundance, among aquatic jjlants and Infusoria, in a pool 

 in the island of Bombay, which is dr}' eight months in the year, 

 I hope to publish much more on a future occasion. 



Fig. 7. Spore-cell of Pythium, on the outer side of the cell- wall of Spiro- 

 gyra : a, spore-cell, containing reproductive, polymorphic, ciliated 

 cells ; h, root-like part of cell (analogous to the mycelium of 

 Fungi) in the cell of Spirogyra ; c, cell-wall of Spirogyra ; d, re- 

 productive cell, or polymorphic monad, which has left the spore- 

 cell, on its way to being captured by the Actinophrys (e), in 

 which there are already three such. Sketch made at Bombay, 

 in 1856. 



Fig. 8. Acineta {mystacinal), surrounded by an Amceha while in the act of 

 putting forth its young one: a, old Acineta; a', its nucleus; 

 b, young one ; c, Amaba waiting for the young Acineta ; 

 d, Amoeba after having caught the young Acineta (e) ; /, ditto, 

 one hour and a half afterwards; g shows the young Acineta di- 

 vided into two portions, and now being digested in separate 

 spaces. Sketch made at Bombay in 1856. 



Fig. 9. Cell, laVoth of an inch in diameter, containing eflfete nucleus and 

 short bacilliform filaments. 



Fig, 10. Isolated cells of the vesicula or contracting-vesicle system imme- 

 diately after having been pressed out from Amaba princeps. 



Fig. II. The same, after exposure to iodine, showing that they retain their 

 cell-wall, which then becomes crenulated. 



V. — On the Raphides of Rubiacea. By George Gulliver, 

 F.R.S., Professor of Anatomy and Physiology to the Royal 

 College of Surgeons. 



In the 'Annals^ for January last it was mentioned that raphides 

 occur in all the species which I had then examined of this order. 

 Through the coin-tesy of Mr. W. H. Baxter, who has supplied me 

 with species of Rubia, I am now enabled to complete the series, 

 as far as regards the British plants of the order. Rubia pere- 

 grina and R. tinctorum abound in raphides. 



Certain orders, as Onagracese and Lemnacepe, may be so rea- 

 dily distinguished from some of their allies by the raphides alone, 

 that even a minute fragment of the plant, either fresh or dried, 

 maybe sufficient for the diagnosis, as was shown in the' Annals' 

 for April last ; and now the order Rubiacese affords an additional 

 illustration, the value of which may be easily tested as follows. 

 In Professor Babington's excellent ' Manual of Botany,' we find 

 this order, which we have just seen affording raphides, standing 

 between Caprifoliacese and Valerianacese, two orders which we 

 have found to be equally remarkable as devoid of raphides. 



The raphides here meant are the needle-like forms occurring, 



