398 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



aqueous hypertropliy of the contractile vesicle the pulsations of which 

 become slow and irregular, and, finally, by the destruction of the proto- 

 plasm by diffluence. The functions which are not immediately affected 

 by the absence of the nucleus are : ciliary movement, pulsations of the 

 contractile vesicle, prehension and ingestion of food, and defecation. 

 Merozoites without a nucleus live from two to three days, but sometimes 

 for seven or eight ; under similar conditions nucleated merozoites may 

 live for nearly a month after regeneration. Essentially similar results 

 were obtained with Traclielius ovum and Prorodon niveus. 



Two Infusorians from the Port of Bastia.* — Prof. P. Gourret and 

 M. P. Roeser give a detailed account of Stromhidium sulcatum, and of a 

 new generic form, for which they propose the name of Glossa ; the latter 

 is more or less ovoidal in form, and has on one side a shallov/ vertical 

 groove, the dorsal edge of which is smooth and entire, while the ventral 

 has, not far from tlie hinder end, a semilunar depression which corre- 

 sponds exactly to the mouth. Two triangular membranous layers are 

 inserted by their base along the groove, aud fuse with one another at the 

 apex. A kind of endostyle is developed which, with the cilia that 

 border it, aid in forming an alimentary rotatory apparatus. Connected 

 with the mouth is a short cylindrical oesophagus which ends in a nutrient 

 vesicle ; this oesophagus can be turned inside out like the finger of a 

 glove, and project to the exterior. The anal orifice is permanent, and 

 near it is the single contractile vesicle. Eegularly arranged and parallel 

 striae extend along the body, and the cilia which they carry are all of 

 the same dimensions. The aflanities of this genus are somewhat obscure ; 

 it has certain relations to Ancistrum and Ptychostomum. The new species 

 is called O. Corsica. 



Fresh-water Infusoria.j — Dr. D. S. Kellicott calls attention to 

 some of the species of Infusoria found in the Niagara river and its 

 tributaries. Owing to the constancy of its volume, the temperature of 

 this river is very constant, and it affords consequently excellent infu- 

 sorial fishing, even in winter. Enchyleodon pellucidus sp. n. forms 

 colourless globular cysts, which seem to be only made use of temporarily. 

 Balantidium gyrans sp. n. was found in the intestinal cavity of a not 

 identified aquatic worm, where it is abundant ; it is very lively. 

 Pixid/ium hebes sp. n. was found on the legs of Asellus. Vorticella 

 riibristigma sp. n. is characterized by numerous red points, which are 

 attached to the muscle. Opercularia Niagarse sp. n. was found abun- 

 dantly on Lernseocera cruciata, which is parasitic on the Eock Bass ; it 

 is rather hardy, living in stale water long after other Vorticellidse have 

 perished. Three tube-making species of Stichotricha were observed, one 

 of which — ;S^. ampulla — appears to be new ; it was found on Myrio- 

 phjllum, and appears to be most closely allied to S. secunda. Among 

 already known species, Enchyleodon farctus and Zoothamnium arbuscula 

 are described. 



New Ciliate Infusoria from Concarneau.l — M, Fabre-Domergue 

 describes a new genus of Ciliata, which he calls Spathidiopsis (S. socialis). 

 Its habits are very peculiar ; it lives in small colonies of eight to ten 



* Journ. Anat. et Physiol., xxiv. (1888) pp. 656-64 (1 pi.), 

 t Proc. Amcr. Soc. Micr., x. (1888) pp. 97-106. 

 X Ann. do Microgr., ii. (1889) pp. 305-9 (1 pi) 



