Archer — On Cklamydomyxa Lahyri)ithHloides. 151 



organism are sometimes to be foiind, to all appearance hermetically 

 closed in, and without any evident mode of ingress. But it would be 

 unreasonable to suppose that it could be self-generated in the plants it 

 inhabits. Other endoparasites, penetrating fi-om without, as is well 

 known, exist. In other leaves, where it can be seen occupying inter- 

 cellular spaces, the marvel becomes, of course, veiy much diminished. 

 It may be found (in Connemara) covering BatracJiospenmim vagiim, 

 and lodged ia numbers between the cortical layer of filaments depend- 

 ing fi'om the nodes, which become dislocated, and portions of the plant 

 distorted ; but such is not very surprising. But as to how this produc- 

 tion gets into cells of several diverse plants, inhabiting the same pool, 

 is a mystery to which I regret I have no clue. 



In certain leaves of Sphagnum in which unmistakable young in- 

 dividuals occur, and again in others in which such did not reveal 

 themselves (not always, however, absolutely critically examined), 

 certain gi'owths can be seen, generally somewhat to one side of the 

 hyaline cell, and sometimes pressing in upon, and distorting, the inter- 

 mediate chlorophyll-beaiing cells. These form elliptic, greenish, 

 coarsely granular masses, suiTounded by an iiTegular, colouidess hya- 

 line, indistinctly bounded, roughly striate covering. (PI. 15, fig. 1.) 

 Sometimes two of these may occur in one cell, and if at the same level, 

 or side by side, they together may press more upon the adjacent cells, 

 and cause somewhat more marked distortion. I have not been able to 

 satisfy myself that these have a genetic relationship to the subject of 

 this paper, but I am inclined to think they may have. 



Although, then, no "reproductive" condition or development of 

 " germs " of any kind has ever rewarded my repeated collection and 

 examination of this organism, at different periods of the yeai', so far as 

 I am aware, nothing essentially agreeing with its general and special 

 characteristics has before been described. But one cannot look at 

 Cienkow ski's figui'es of his Labyrinthula-forms, or read his account of 

 them iloc. cit.), without beiag struck -nith the strong resemblance, if, 

 indeed, it may not turn out to be more. 



It becomes necessary, then, to refer to the description given by 

 Cienkowski {loc.cit.), of the two forms for which he foiuided the genus 

 Labyrinthida, and the only one of the new group " Labyrinthuleas." 



Labyrintliula viteUina, Cienk., forms little brick-red, or orangc- 

 coloui'ed patches, about the size of a pin's head, upon seaweeds cover- 

 ing the piles ia Odessa harboiu:. Placed under the microscope, and 

 allowed to repose for some hours (say twenty-foui'), thi'ce principal 

 constituents catch the eye of the observer: the " central mass," the 

 "spiadles," and the " filamentary tracks " (" Padenbahn," Cienk.). 

 The " central mass" consists of globules (0-012 mm. in diam.), with a 

 vciy delicate contour, and of a brick-red or yelk-yellow colour, which 

 in the aggregate are held together by a delicate, fijiely granular, basic 

 substance, often presenting, externally, a thin coloiuless margin. 

 Passing off therefrom in various directions are seen numerous slender, 

 mostly very thin, anastomosing strings, the "filamentary tracks." 



