598 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



small uuclci, which then exhibit a long series of further divisions. The 

 divisions of the accessory elements do not keep pace with those of tho 

 larger nuclei. In each half of one individual just before separation 

 G ruber observed thirty-two division products of the largo nucleus, and 

 the number is increased after separation. The accessory elements seem 

 to divide again and again, till too small to be seen. 



FoUiculina ampulla.* — Prof. K. Mobius has reinvestigated that in- 

 teresting Infusorian (Flascheniierchen) FoUiculina ampulla, specimens 

 of which he found on the woodwork of Kiel harbour. The nature of 

 the individual animals is described. Tlie lobes of the anterior funnels 

 bear ciliated combs (j)cctinellse) and ciliated lappets (membranellde) ; the 

 mouth is guarded by a crescentic valve ; the " gullet " is conical, and 

 leads directly into the digestive plasma. A dorsal anterior anal opening 

 is jircsent. The nucleus is posterior and necklace-like. 



Mubius describes the peculiar budding process which results in mul- 

 tiplication. The young form remains until mature connected with the 

 parent by a strand. The bud has no developed funuel-lobes nor protective 

 sheath. It difters from a Metozoan germ in being almost as large as the 

 individual parent. The duration of the free life of the young form was 

 not discovered. 



Lastly, the author discusses the " psychical life" of FoUiculina. He 

 maintains the necessary supj^osition of a low grade of " consciousness," 

 and on this subject submits some instructive considerations. 



Fresh-water Infusoria of the United States.t — Dr. A. C. Stokes has 

 published a preliminary contribution towards a history of the fresh- 

 water Infusoria of the United States. The forms identical with 

 European species are mostly recorded by name only, while American 

 genera and species are much more fully characterized. Of a number of 

 these forms we have already given more extended notice. 



New Foraminifera.| — Dr. H. Blanc describes an interesting new 

 species of Gromia (G. hrunneri) from the mud at the bottom of Lake 

 Geneva. The colour was pale yellow, the form varied with size from 

 oval or spherical in the larger, to fusiform or bottle-shaped in the smaller 

 specimens. There is a strong opaque shell, with oval or circular apertui'e, 

 composed of small vegetable bodies cemented together, sometimes along 

 with quartz-grains. Under this there is also a peculiar chitin-like, 

 internal membrane or shell. Fine pseudopodia flow from the aperture, 

 and cover the shell. They lengthen, anastomose, and exhibit currents. 

 Part of the external protoplasm probably forms the cement of the shell. 

 The vacuoles are small and not numerous. Whether any were contractile 

 could not be determined. The nucleus has a peculiarly thick membrane, 

 a zone of globules surrounding this internally, and granules of chromatin. 

 "With high power it exhibits a reticular appearance. The author finally 

 discusses the peculiar habitat and emphasizes the distinctiveness of this 

 interesting new Gromia. 



Psorospermium Haeckelii.§ — Dr. A. Wierzejski has examined this 

 interesting parasite. lie finds that, in the quiescent condition, it is 

 inclosed by thin capsules ; the outermost is very finely striated, and is 



* Biol. Centralbl., vii. (1888) pp. 721-3. 



+ Journ Trenton Nat. Hist. Soc, i. (1888) pp. 71-3-15 (13 pis.). 



X Rec. Zool. Sui-ssc, iv. (1888) pp. 497-513 (1 pi.). 



§ Zool. Anzeig., xi (1888) j.p. 230-1. 



