1016 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



was no food in it. The creature was remarkably active and snatched 

 its prey in a peculiar manner. If found to belong to an old genus 

 the specific name raptor is suggested for it, or if a new genus, 

 Harpakter socialis. 



Erythropsis agilis.* — Dr. E. Metschnikow remarks that a Pro- 

 tozoon described by himself under the same name is probably not 

 identical with Hertwig's Erythropsis agilis; it is a scarce species 

 belonging to the AcinetaB, and only occurred in one instance out of a 

 daily examination of the surface water lasting for six months. The 

 species, like E. agilis, has a conspicuous eye, which differs in pos- 

 sessing a conical body beneath the pigment sheath, which is perhaps 

 the first differentiation of a nervous apparatus. The species occurred 

 near Funchal, in Madeira. 



Flagellata and allied Organisms.! — Dr. C. Fisch has studied 

 eleven forms, among which are CTiromulina woroniniana n. sp., Chilo- 

 monas paramoecium, Bodo jaculans, Manas guttula, and Amoeba diffiuens. 

 Although the form of the body differs considerably in details, yet it 

 is possible to " orient " them all in the same way, and to distinguish 

 the following constituent parts ; cytoplasm, tegumentary layer, nucleus, 

 one or more contractile vacuoles, cilia, and, generally also, nutrient 

 vacuoles. 



The cytoplasm is ordinarily homogeneous and generally finely 

 granular ; no special structure can be made out in it ; it is ordinarily 

 pretty firm, and may be markedly so. The cilia seem to have the 

 same chemical constitution as the integumentary layer, but are not so 

 intensely coloured by iodine ; they are not, as is ordinarily repre- 

 sented, more delicate at the tip than elsewhere ; they are the most 

 sensitive organs of the Flagellata and are destroyed by the removal 

 of oxygen. The nucleus has a definite position, and is most often 

 vesicular in form. As a rule there is but one contractile vacuole, 

 and it, like the nucleus, has a definite position in the body. 



The author describes the chromatophores, but denies the presence 

 of eye-spots. He is of opinion that the green algae are allied to the 

 Flagellata. 



Dr. Fisch enters with great detail into the special history 

 of a number of species, among which there are, in addition to those 

 already mentioned Cyathomonas truncata, Codosiga hotrytis, Paranema 

 trichopJiorurn, ArJiahdomonas vulgaris, Grassia ranarum, and Proto- 

 chytrium spirogyrse. As to the last it seems to be most closely allied 

 to " Manas amyli." It is not to be denied that the zoosporous 

 Monadina are low Flagellata, but they have no relation to Vampy- 

 rella. 



Marine Rhizopoda.ij: — Prof. 0. Biitschli commences with an 

 account of some observations on the nuclei ; the first subjects are 

 PenerapUs pertusus and P. planatus ; in one case several nuclei were 

 seen in one organism, and a finely plexiform arrangement of the 



* Zool. Anzeig., viii. (1885) pp. 433-4. 



t Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Zool., xlii. (1885) pp. 47-125 (4 pis.). 



X Morphol. Jahrb., xi. (1885) pp. 78-101 (2 pis.). 



