CAPTAIN OWEN ON THE SUEEACE-EAUNA OE MID-OCEAN. 205 



larged, I do not take to be a difficulty ; for I believe that, while 

 living, some of the forms are to a certain extent elastic. Some 

 species lose their globular form after death, and present a distorted 

 surface. When the aperture is enlarged, it is easy to couceiA^e 

 that the elastic shelly portion is both distended and absorbed. 



Although I have searched most diligently for the young of the 

 Polycystina, I have been unable to find even comparatively small 

 specimens of each species. I have therefore been led to doubt 

 their growth in their present form. May not the Polycystina be 

 the more perfect condition of some other creatures that attain their 

 full size, and at the point of change or chrysalis-state are resolved 

 into sarcode, upon which the siliceous shell is afterwards formed ? 

 (some minute marine Entozoa for instance ?) or may not their first 

 form of life be simple sarcode, or an Amoeba ? Some of the ex- 

 tremely thin shells still elastic seem to favour this supposition. 

 If periodically, on increasing in size, they change their shells like 

 the Crustaceans, where are we to look for the very small ones ? 



One globular species appears like a specimen of the Chinese 

 ball-cutting — one sphere within another ; but it is a marked and 

 distinct kind. 



I have not been able to meet with any cases of multiplication 

 by division, unless the few specimens of conjugation which I have 

 before noticed should hereafter prove to be of this nature : in 

 most of the forms anything of this kind would be at once detected. 

 There is one that at first sight seems to favour this notion ; but 

 as it has likewise an internal shelly portion, I do not think it can 

 be looked upon in this light. 



A case of the breaking-up of the contained sarcode into granules, 

 as in the diatoms, was observed, and a drawing taken from the 

 living specimen in the live-box. I would call attention to two 

 kinds of egg-like forms — some yellow, others of a bright deep blue. 

 The colour of this species generally is uniform — either all blue, red, 

 or yellow — but not granular. It is but little I can say on this 

 most important point; but I hope what I have witnessed, and 

 here brought to notice, though but a few steps in advance, will 

 show the road to be taken for further investigation. 



