202 Prof. H. James-Clark on the Spongise ciliatse 



glimmering outlines of the prongs of a tuning-fork when vi- 

 brating. When observed with a poorly defining lens, I can 

 readily see that this phenomenon might be mistaken for the 

 cone of light produced by the gyratory vibrations of a single 

 filament, or for the bright lumen of a circular row of vibrating 

 cilia. As regards the former category, it may be said that the 

 flagellum is far more conspicuous than the collar, and may be 

 seen clearly projecting in the line of the axis of the body, and 

 vibrating after a manner of its own. As for the latter supposed 

 case, one might be inclined to dismiss it without any scruple, 

 upon the simple assumption that no flagellate infusorian can 

 bear numerous cilia, were it not that I call to mind my own 

 discovery of a flagellated animalcule {Hetero7nastix,figs.70-74) 

 of the heteronematous form, which is at the same time abun- 

 dantly ciliated. I have therefore taken all possible pains to 

 ascertain that this "collar " (figs. 28-32, b) is a genuine mem- 

 brane, and not the similitude of one. 



Occasionally individuals (fig. 32) were seen which bore an 

 inverted conical collar (b) that remained, at least for a time, 

 at an expansion and altitude equal to the breadth and height 

 of the calyx (c). These were among the largest specimens 

 found, and almost or altogether filled the calyx. Rarely were 

 examples found which crowded the calyx so fully as to seem 

 to bulge it out laterally. Figure 31 represents such an in- 

 stance, in which the aperture (c^) of the calyx is absolutely 

 inseparable from the head, excepting that, knowing that it is 

 not really continuous, one recognizes the line of demarcation 

 by the abrupt change in the thickness of the seemingly uninter- 

 rupted membrane. This case is also remarkable, inasmuch as 

 it at the same time furnishes us with an example of an enor- 

 mously large, bulging, campanulate collar, nearly as broad as 

 the most common and normally permanent form (fig. 28), and 

 yet higher than it is wide. In all probability, judging from 

 appearances, which in every respect remind one of the prepa- 

 ratory steps of fissigemmation of Godosiga pulcherrima, this 

 individual is soon about to undergo self-division. Unfortu- 

 nately the drawing was made at a time when the impending 

 process could not be watched. 



The Jlagelhwi {fl) is as highly flexible as that of ^S'. gracilis, 

 and very active throughout its length. It is attached to a more 

 or less elevated axial prominence in the middle of the frontal 

 area, and extends to a length which is at most not more than 

 one-third greater than that of the body. 



Regarding the digestive organs nothing can be said, except- 

 ing that dark irregular pellets and loose foreign material were 

 abundant enough, and so irregularly scattered that they could 

 not be looked upon otherwise than as nutritive matter. 



