ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 67 



which the almost obliterated gastric cavity was confined to the upper 

 portion, confirms this view ; in the lower part the fibres formed an 

 irregular network, while in the upper part the primary fibres were 

 quite regularly disposed in relation to the longitudinal axis of the 

 sponge. 



The Dysideidse (with the possible exception of Psammascus) appear 

 to form a very well defined family, allied to the Spongeliadte, of which 

 group Psammascus is perhaps an aberrant form. 



The genus Phoriospongia contains siliceous sponges, in which, 

 again, we find aggregations of sand ; two species, P. solida and 

 P. reticulum, are described. They both come from Tasmania, and 

 appear to be allied to the Cionidte or to Vioa ; from the latter, how- 

 ever, they difier by the possession of bihamate spicules. 



The author's account is not so complete as he would wish to make 

 it, in consequence of the state of preservation of the soft parts of the 

 sponges ; that these may be well seen, it is necessary to plunge the 

 living sponge into strong alcohol. 



Protozoa. 



Butschli's 'Protozoa.'* — Parts II.- VI. of this work, with plates 

 v.-vii., have been issued together, so that p. 160 is now reached, but 

 the subject of the Phizopoda is not yet completed. This is partly to 

 be explained by the fact that the Monera and other non -nucleated 

 (cytod) forms are included under this head. As may be imagined, the 

 works of Carpenter and Williamson are largely drawn on for the 

 plates illustrating the Foraminifera, but the sources are always 

 acknowledged. An original sketch is given of a curious variety of 

 Orhitolites, from the Samoa Islands, and two others of the remarkable 

 Polytrema, in one of which the arrangement of the superjacent lamellae 

 is very well shown. Some of the figures are from more or less rare 

 journals. 



Classification of the Gregarinidge.f — Dr. B. Gabriel has a preli- 

 minary communication on this subject, on which nothing definite has 

 been done since Stein established his three families — Monocystideae, 

 Gregarin^, and Didymophyidae. 



Gabriel proposes to form three divisions and to name and charac- 

 terize them thus : — 



I. Greg. Isoplasta. The Gregarine-germs and the Myxomycetes- 

 series arise at the same time ; both arise from the differentiated body- 

 mass, Cystoplasta. Myxomycetes-forms represented by plasmodia, 

 pigments. 



II. G. Proteroplasta. The body-mass of the generating Gregarine 

 is differentiated into a Myxomycetes-plasmodium ; from this arise the 

 Gregarine-germs, Acystoplasta. These contain the forms that are 

 phylogenetically the oldest. Plasmodium simple. 



III. G. Hysteroplasta. The Gregarine - germ arises first ; the 

 myx-series arise from definite modifications of the Gregarine-germ 



* See this Journal, iii. (1880) p. 662. 

 t Zool. Anzeig., iii. (1880) pp. 569-72. 



F 2 



