420 PROF. ATiLMAN ON THE RECENT EESEA.RCHES 



Fig^ 11. 



VampyrelJa spirogyrce. 

 A, the Vampyrella in the act of sucking out the contents of a Sjnrogyra-coQ,. 

 B, the Vampyrella in its encysted state: a, nit rogenons covering ; b, interior con- 

 tents. 0, the contents of the Vampyrella-cysth&se become divided into tetraspores, 

 and one of these is seen escaping as an ATrmba-lW^ Vampyrella. D, the free 

 amoeboid Vampyrella. (After Oienkowski.) 



chlorophyl. We next find that it has begun to perforate the walls 

 of the filament ; and no sooner has it thus gained access to the 

 interior than the protoplasmic lining (" primordial utricle ") 

 detaches itself from the cell-wall of the Spirogyra, and along 

 with its adherent chlorophyl granules passes slowly into the body 

 of the Vampyrella (A). As soon as the Vampyrella has thus gained 

 possession of the contents of one cell it passes to another, and 

 there repeats the process. In this way cell after cell is plundered 

 of its contents ; and now the Vampyrella, gorged with food, seats 

 itself on some part of the alga, rolls itself into a ball, and quietly 

 digests its prey. 



The chlorophyl granules which had thus made their way into 

 the interior of the Vampyrella now become gradually distributed 

 through its entire body, and it then passes into the resting state 

 (B), withdrawing its pseudopodia and excreting a soft nitrogenous 



