158 Proceedings of flie Royal Iridt Academy. 



Cicnkowski; but there appear, so far as can be judged, general points 

 of difference — of course no one could for a moment regard them as 

 identical. If we judge aright from Cienkowski's figuxe,* the 

 "spindles" in his unknown organism (fi'om the flower-pot) do not seem 

 of differentiated character fi'om the tracks; t\i.Qj seem to be composed of 

 the basic substance, and to contain the same extremely minute granules, 

 notwithstanding that they have an independence of movement. Unlike 

 the marine Labyrinthule?e, they do not seem to be nucleated, and in 

 that respect would agree with those of my organism. But in the 

 latter the " spindles" are undoubtedly pre-existent in the central 

 mass, and are of quite different colour', consistence, and character from 

 the basic substance containing them, or the "tracks" on which they 

 travel. 



We have thus to do with an organism sing-ular in its details, and 

 highly puzzling as to its real nature — one which offers but few re- 

 semblances to recognised and described objects. Its oixtward "facies" 

 and its most striking resemblances doubtless suggest affinity to the 

 Labyi'inthulese, especially L. viteUina, Cienk., but this may be a mere 

 resemblance, nothing more, if we were acquainted with its develop- 

 ment. It, Kke the marine forms, has a' resemblance to Cienkowski's 

 as yet, even to him, enigmatical fungal (fi'om the flower-pot) ; it has a 

 less striking resemblance to conditions of Mycetozoa, as pointed out 

 also by Cienkowski. In the absence of a "nucleus" it agrees with 

 Monera (Hackel). But, whilst it as yet shows no "fxTictification," no 

 reproductive process, in any more strict sense of the word, a decision 

 as to its real natui'e must remain in abeyance. Meantime, in itself 

 and its specialities, it is an existence quite distinct from any other 

 hitherto described, at least so far as I have noticed. 



I am myself very strongly inclined to hold by the view that 

 Sarcodic existence (at least those of the fi'esh waters), that is " Ehizo- 

 poda," in a broad sense, embracing various types, simple as they are, 

 are, in fact, very fixed and permanent organisms. Bound up with 

 certain "forms" seem to be their own inherent specialities of structure 

 and of texture, their peculiarities of temperament (if one might be 

 allowed to use the word in relation to so lowly organisms), their idiosyn- 

 crasies of behaviour, of manner, of habit, theii' peculiarities of colour, 

 or its changes, theii' greater, or less, predilection for crude "food," or 

 seeming total abstinence. Although, indeed, the present organism cannot 

 be looked upon as belonging to Bhizopoda, it is, at least, not less 

 strongly marked than any of the not very numerous but yet multifari- 

 ous Sarcodic existences which the fi^esh waters, more or less abundantly 

 or scantily, offer to notice. But still any generic or specific " charac- 

 ters" that could be ascribed to it would seemingly be of but a tem- 

 porary or artificial nature, pending its further history. Since I first 

 met with it, it has pertinaciously refused to present any additional 



Loc. cit., T. xix., f. 5 and 6. 



