22,2 Shaw: Merrillosphaera africana 189 



to 4. The somatic cells are described as 8 to 9.5 p. in diameter, 

 almost globose, with long delicate connecting strands of pro- 

 toplasm. These connecting strands are mentioned only in a 

 tabulation of characters of the species in contrast with char- 

 acters of Volvox rousseleti which has relatively broad con- 

 necting strands. It appears to me that the ground for ascribing 

 such connecting strands to this species was purely an assump- 

 tion that, since they are present in a supposedly similar 

 European species, they are therefore probably present in this 

 one also. 



The oospores measure about 45 ^ in diameter and have thick 

 smooth walls. 



No ' male coenobia were observed that could be definitely 

 connected with the species. 



TYPICALLY OVOID COENOBIA AT MANILA 

 ASEXUAL COENOBIA 



Philippine material that closely resembles the African coeno- 

 bia described and figured by West was obtained from a small 

 pond in Pasay, near Manila, October 19, 1914. This pond, 

 designated by the letter I in my notes, was about half a meter 

 deep and 6 meters across, and at that time it was shrinking, 

 as the rainy season was drawing to a close. 



Nine asexual coenobia from this material are shown in Plate 

 1, figs. 1 to 6, and Plate 2, figs. 7, 9, and 12. The first six 

 of these contain only asexual progeny, and their pictures do 

 not bring out any characters not given by West in his descrip- 

 tion of the African material. Direct observation of the speci- 

 mens, however, brings out the fact that most of the third 

 generation that is represented in these coenobia are still un- 

 divided gonidia. The oldest of the six is the only one m which 

 gonidia of the daughters have divided, and in that one there 

 is an undivided gonidium in each daughter. 



Study of the specimens reveals another point that was not 

 brought out by West. In coenobia with less than two pairs 

 of daughters or gonidia, absent members that would be required 

 to make up this number are commonly represented by abortive 

 gonidia which are located in the places where, from the arrange- 

 ment in cases where two pairs are present, gonidia would be 

 expected to occur. Some notes on these specimens will now 

 be recorded. 



Specimen 1.— Plate 1, fig. 1. This is an asexual coenobium 

 with one daughter containing two gonidia. In the picture a 



