670 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



of the rays the masses of ejected matter were broken «p, and the 

 globules set free in the water. 



These globules developed from one side an extremely long ray of 

 finely granular protoplasm slightly elongating at the same time, thus 

 taking an oval shape. No trace of the axial threads peculiar to the 

 rays of adult Actinosphceria could be discovered. The average length 

 of these globules, including the ray, was '1422 mm.; without the ray 

 • 0127 mm. The next act of the globules was the sending out another 

 ray from a point opposite to the first. Minute vacuoles appeared and 

 ranged themselves close to the sm'face of the globule. Other rays 

 were developed at various intervals of time. The appearance of the 

 young ActinosjyJiceria gradually became more perfect in resemblance to 

 the parent. The growth was very slow, the perfect form not being 

 attained for a period varying from one to two weeks, and the size was 

 even then small. 



The external layer of vacuoles of the Actinosplicerium from which 

 the globules had been ejected contained numbers of granules in active 

 motion. In the difterent vacuoles the number varied from ten to about 

 one hundred, as nearly as could be counted. They were usually 

 congregated at one point and seemed to be trying to force a way 

 out. 



Sometimes a globular mass of protoplasm was seen to run out 

 upon a ray, and then, instead of returning to the body as usual, drop 

 off into the water, and develope into a perfect Actinosphcerium in the 

 same manner as those ejected in a mass from the body. 



Several free cells, having rays, were observed, upon touching a ray 

 of the Actinosphcerium, to glide down it in the manner usual to captured 

 prey, and be re-absorbed into the body. 



One globule of protoplasm, running out towards the point of a 

 ray, stopped, and while motionless sent out a long ray at right angles 

 to that supporting the globule. Another smaller globule ran out 

 on this secondary ray and, in its turn sent out a third ray at 

 right angles to the secondary ray but parallel to the primary ray. 

 It has been stated that the rays of the Actinosphcerium never branched, 

 but the observer thought tbat the above phenomenon could be truly 

 called branching, as all the protoplasm returned to the main ray, and 

 thence to the body. 



To ascertain whether any globules of protoplasm artificially freed 

 from the body of the Actinosphcerium would develope in the same 

 manner as those above described, an Actinosphcerium was crushed in 

 the live-box so violently as to completely disintegrate it. The vacuoles 

 were broken up and the internal mass of protoplasm mixed with the 

 water, only two or three small masses of the external vacuoles remain- 

 ing intact. On removing the pressure all the fluid protoplasm was 

 seen to gather itself up into globules, of sizes varying from • 0507 to 

 •253 mm. 



These globules contained vacuoles, the size and nimiber of the 

 vacuoles varying with the size of the globules. The water became 

 free from protoplasm, though a large number of the granules which had 

 been contained in the external vacuoles preivous to the crushing of 



