Archer — On Chlamydomyxa Lahyrinthuloides. 141 



pressure on the covering-glass to burst it (Plate 15, fig. 4). As men- 

 tioned, its outline is most varied ; globose or broadly oval might, per- 

 haps, be called the typical form, but examples lobed in a variety of 

 ways are extremely frequent. Nearly always, from one, two, or more 

 places, are given off neck-like extensions, of greater or less width, 

 terminating in a lacerated manner ; these are produced, as it were, by 

 the prolongations laterally of a certain number, greater or less, of the 

 laminae composing the wall, and then as if abruptly torn ofi:'. (Plate 

 14; Plate 15, figs. 3, 4, 5.) 



Leaving the outer envelope for the present, and passing to the 

 inner soft and plastic "li^^.ng" portion, this is not a simple or homo- 

 geneous plasma or sarcode, but is itself composed of several seemingly 

 distinct elements. The first of these is the basic substance of hyaline 

 character, forming the common connecting medium of every other 

 element (except, of course, the outer cyst or envelope alluded to) when 

 the organism is in what may be called its state of repose — a state in 

 which seemingly by far the greatest portion of its existence is passed. 

 But at times a far more striking and remarkable phase presents itself, 

 when further structural elements of the ' ' living ' ' portion or contents 

 come to view, and to which I shall advert in the order in which they 

 would most probably attract the attention of an observer examining an 

 example of this production in " good order" for the first time. 



Since I met with this organism, on the first occasion in a single 

 pool in the Co. Westmeath, I have found it in several not very distant 

 sites in Connemara, having since then learned to detect its presence in 

 quantity by the reddish colour presented to the eye in the mass when 

 it is in the dormant or encysted condition, so abundant does it even- 

 tually become in pools where it occurs. Upon the earlier occasions of 

 taking it, indeed, the red colour was by no means so prominent a 

 characteristic as it seemed to have rendered itself subsequently, but it 

 was still a sufficiently striking feature. 



In examples (especially as more lately taken) it is just this reddish 

 colour which would likewise first attract notice under the microscope. 

 This is due to a number of granules of varying magnitude, often rather 

 large, but mostly very minute, with a dark outKne and of a bright red 

 colour. (Plate 14, fig. 2, to the right ; fig. 4.) These may be often 

 present in some examples in great abundance, sometimes in others 

 more sparse, sometimes very few, or they may be in some specimens 

 all but or quite absent. 



Of the granular or soKd contents, besides the red granules, others of 

 a yellowish-gTeen colour' will attract attention. These are usually more 

 minute than the larger of the red granules, but ordinarily surpass them 

 in quantity, the red ones only rendering themselves more conspicuous 

 at first and in the mass by theii* brighter and therefore more striking 

 colour. The fewer the red granules the more abundant the green, and 

 vice versa. These green granules resemble much the chlorophyll- 

 granules of certain algfe, though they are never of a grass-green, but 

 are always of a yellowish hue. I suppose it to be very probable that 



R. I. A. PROC, SER. II., VOL. II., SCIENCE. U 



