AiicHER — On Chhuntjdomijxa Lahijrinthtiloides. 143 



a length, perhaps, as great as the diameter of the vacuole ; anon the 

 contraction abruptly sets in, and the divided surrounding substance re- 

 unites, and the rift becomes obliterated (as it were re-fused), perhaps 

 not to return, even should the vacuole reappear in the same place. 

 (Plate 14. See the vacuole in centre of the subtriangular outlying 

 portion of plasma to the left.) 



But, as we watch, attention will soon be drawn off fi'om the 

 vacuoles. The first issuing portion of contents, upon being some time 

 advanced into the surrounding water, forms, as it were, a primary 

 trunk, which soon subdivides into a number of branches which taper 

 off, or after tapering a little may again become expanded, forming a 

 "peninsula" of the extended body-substance; or the connecting 

 ''isthmus" may disappear, leaving an "island" formed of the sarcode- 

 substance lying apart. Presently, issuing from various pai-ts of the 

 "trunk" and principal "branches," as we have seen abounding in 

 vacuoles, are soon noticed ramifications, extending far and wide in the 

 most complex manner, of filiform, hyaline, quite colourless threads of ex- 

 traordinary tenuity. These extremely delicate processes are flexible, 

 but do not seem spontaneously to alter much in position as first de- 

 veloped, or at least very slowly, but only to grow in length and num- 

 ber. But, further, pari passu with their own appearance, occur at 

 various clistances upon them, minute fusiform bodies of a pale bluish tint, 

 their longitudinal axis posed in the direction of the length of the filament. 

 At first glance these might momentarily be taken for so many fusi- 

 form expansions or enlargements of the delicate filament itself, offer- 

 ing a degree of (bluish) colour, owing merely to their gTcater thickness. 

 But a closer inspection at once dispels this idea : the fusiform hodies 

 are seen to ie in motion, though sloiv, along the hair-lihe filaments. (PI. 

 14, passim.) 



A very few minutes' examination suffices to prove this. I regret 

 I have not a note of their rate of pi'ogression ; but if attention be be- 

 stowed on any few spindles (four, five, or six), at any given place on 

 one of these capillary filaments, their relative distances will be noticed 

 to have considerably altered in a few minutes. The little spindle, now 

 in advance of several others, may slacken its pace as compared with 

 those beliind, or, what comes to the same thing, the hindermost may 

 become accelerated ; the natural result is that the foremost spindle is 

 overtaken ; it may then act as a temporaiy stop or barrier to the ad- 

 vance of those behind, and the little group may come to a standstill. 

 They may then remain in linear sequence, or become, as it were, hud- 

 dled together, and fonn a little cluster, but by-and-by they may resume 

 their movement. But in such a case of a spindle now in advance be- 

 coming checked, what is more singular may sometimes happen — the 

 hindennost may actually creep over the lazy one in front, and, this 

 accomplished, then, nothing baulked, quietly pursue its way, leaving 

 the spindle previously in advance of it far behind. 



It is natural to speak of these minute travelling bodies as spindles, 

 for that is their usual shape, but this can vary. In such a curious 



