386 PEOr. ALLMAN ON THE UECEISTT RESEARCHES 



markable sarcode organism whicli lives on the contents of Alga- 

 cells, -vvhicli it sucks out in the manner of a Vampyrella. It would 

 seem to be identical with the rhizopod to which G-reefF gave the 

 name of Heliojphrys variabilis (figs. 1 & 2)*, and !P. E. Schulze 

 that of Seterophrys variansf. It has certain obvious relations 

 with the Heliozoa, from which, however, it differs in its great 

 variability of form, the spherical or homaxial shape so characte- 

 ristic of the Heliozoa being only occasionally assumed by it. 



It is described by Cienkowski as an Amceha with fine, pointed, 

 instead of lobose, pseudopodia, and with numerous nuclei in its 

 protoplasm. The protoplasm is very transparent, and besides the 

 nuclei encloses a multitude of vacuoles, which slowly appear and 

 disappear without showing the sudden collapse which is characte- 

 ristic of the true pulsating vacuoles. 



Some of the specimens studied were observed by Cienkowski to 

 have become surrounded by a granular spherical envelope, and to 

 have thus passed into what he regards as probably a resting-stage. 



Cienkowski places Nuclearia, along with Vampyrella &c., in his 

 group of " Monadinse ;" but its structure, and especially the pre- 

 sence of nuclei in its protoplasm, will not justify its association 

 with organisms which are essentially cytodes. 



Greeff describes his Heliophrys variabilis, which he finds abun- 

 dant in both stagnant and running water during spring and early 

 summer, as varying from a sphere or circular disk (fig. 1) to au 

 irregular more or less elongated and compressed form (fig. 2). 

 He further describes it as surrounded by a hyaline and homo- 

 geneous layer, whose surface is set with short rod-like granules, 

 and which is traversed by the long pointed pseudopodia on their 

 way from the proper body in which they originate to the external 

 water. The numerous nuclei which are brought into view by 

 moderate compression consist of a delicate hyaline capsule with a 

 darker homogeneous central spherule. 



A closely allied, if not identical, organism has been described by 

 Hertwig and Lesser under the name of LeptopJirys. It is a multi- 

 nucleated greatly vacuolated protoplasm mass of very variable 

 outline, but usually in the form of a delicate veil, which spreads 

 over the stage of the microscope, and is so thin and transparent 

 as to allow objects which lie under it to be distinctly seen. Its 

 edges usually flow out into lobes, from which the fine pointed 

 pseudopodia radiate. 



* Arch. f. mikr. Anat. xi. t " Ehizopodenstudien," Arch, f, mikr, Anat. xi. 



