ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 261 



contents are well distributed, but wben it is firmer they do not mix 

 so easily with it ; this is the cause of the appearance of a hyaline 

 ectoplasm and a granular endoplasm. The only differentiation in 

 the body of an Amoeba obtains at the outermost periphery, where the 

 protoplasm — clearly from contact with water — is converted into an 

 invisible cuticula-like layer, which disappears during the outpushing 

 of the pseudopodia and can be re-made. 



He is not able to confirm the account of a plexiform structure of 

 the protoplasm, as given by Heitzmann ; nor does he allow that the 

 refractive bodies which have been described by Greef in Pelomyxa 

 palusiris are ever to be found in Amoebce ; he has examined P. villosa, 

 where they are certainly absent. The pale filaments found in some 

 Amoebce appear to be symbiotic fungi ; in one species which was re- 

 markable for the constant collection of chlorophyll-containing food 

 they were always present. 



The species lately described by Leidy and found by Gruber in 

 Europe confirm the doctrine that the fresh-water Ehizopods are 

 cosmopolitan organisms. 



Psorosperm in the Human Pleural Cavity.* — After a lengthy 

 summary of all that is known concerning the Psorosperms, J. 

 Kiinstler and A. Pitres give a detailed description of a species found 

 in the pus from the human pleural cavity. At the moment of ex- 

 traction this pus was white, opaque, thick, perfectly homogeneous, 

 and of an oily consistency, without the least disagreeable odour. 

 Examined eighteen hours afterwards without the addition of any 

 reagent it was found to contain inter alia some ovoid or fusiform 

 corpuscles, pale and of a hyaline appearance, with sharply cut 

 contour, swimming freely in the fluid or inclosed in variable numbers 

 in hyaline cysts. They varied largely in size, from 18 /a to 100 /a 

 in length, and many appeared to be undergoing fission. 



These corpuscles consist of an envelope inclosing a protoplasmic 

 body. The envelope is thin, continuous throughout, and exhibits 

 oblique undulating striae which form an integral part of the struc- 

 ture of the membrane, and are not due to superficial costse. The 

 protoplasm is finely granular and completely fills it. It incloses a 

 rounded nucleus. The largest corpuscles, far surpassing the ordinary 

 ones in size, were filled with fusiform corpuscles, the result of en- 

 dogenous generation. As these fusiform bodies were a little larger 

 than the smallest of the free specimens, it is inferred that the latter 

 are due to fission. No amoeboid state nor any trace of intercellular 

 life was observed. In position this parasite is nearest to that division 

 of the Psorosperms known as Coccidia monospora, and it seems closely 

 allied to the corpuscles found by Arloing and Tripier in the viscera 

 of the chicken. 



New and Little-known Protistse.t — ^Prof. Parona describes the 

 following Protistse from Sardinia : — 



Dijplodorina Massoni From. (Par.) is fully discussed by the author, 



* Journ. de Microgr., viii. (1884) pp. 469-74, 520-6 (2 pis.), 

 t Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat., xsvi. (1883) pp. 149-59 (1 pi.). 



