L 



382 Mr. W. Clark's Observations on recent Foraminifera. 



attrition, and very often are imperfect fragments, which have 

 passed for perfect organisms, as I shall presently demonstrate. 



The Orthocera are fixed by the subulate style at the posterior 

 end, though most cabinet specimens are broken off and rounded 

 by the corally particles and agitation of the waters. 



Many of the Polystomellce and other discoid forms have, when 

 perfect, a spiny periphery, by which they are permanently fixed to 

 marine objects, and in this state I have often seen the Polystomella 

 crispa, but when detached the spines fall off, or are worn away. 

 The Rot alia Beccarii adheres by its concave surface. The Loba- 

 tula vulgaris, every one knows, is attached to stones, shells and 

 zoophytes ; and why should not the rest of the Foraminifers be 

 in a similar category ? 



But the decisive proof that most of these calcareous structures 

 are naturally fixtures, will be manifest from the sketch of the con- 

 figuration of the Lagena Icevis. This organism, in a state of nature, 

 is never in distinct flask or urn-shaped portions, unless the inci- 

 pient or primary cell is met with : the real structure is, that these 

 flask-shaped forms are the cells of a Foraminifer superincumbent 

 on each other, and permanently united : to what number they 

 amount to, when in a perfect state, I cannot say, but I have seen 



a stem of at least four united cells, the sketch magnified many times. 



posterior one being furnished with the ^ ^ Anterior. 



style of attachment. All naturalists have 1 



hitherto figured this foraminiferous form ; 



in broken fragments, which they have i 



considered to be perfect, distinct and se- j 



parate forms, likening them to an oil- C 



flask or urn, with the neck margined at := 



what they thought was the terminal ori- \ 



fice, whereas these flask-shaped cells are ;: 



only portions of a stem of chambers, g 



which from the extreme delicacy of struc- » V.... style of fixation at 



ture are broken by the shghtest touch, at ^ posterior end. 



the neck, usually bringing away with it a small circular portion 



of the bulb of the preceding cell, giving the neck the appearance 



of a margin which is smoothed by attrition. As to the polype of 



the Lag erne, I can say nothing more than what I have stated with 



respect to O. Legumen. Finally, I may observe, that there is 



little doubt that all the species of these minute organisms are 



foraminiferous, and inhabited by polypiferous creatures. 



It may perhaps be thought, that in my observations on the 

 polype of the Foraminifers I have stated hypotheses instead of 

 facts ; but it must be recollected that in the obscure and difficult 

 points of natural history, this mode of searching out truth must 

 be submitted to as the best the case admits of, and it is often a 



