iqoS.J Records of the Indian Museum. iii 



PROTOZOA. 



Notes on a peculiar form of Euglena. — This animalcule 

 occurs in large numbers in the tank at the Shalamar Gardens, 

 Ivahore. It forms a continuous layer on the surface of the water, 

 giving it a deep red to greenish colour. In places exposed to 

 direct sunlight the colour is usually deep red, while in shady places 

 it is greenish. 



The animal is characterised b}' the presence of numerous deep 

 red granules in the whole of the body. The granules are quite 

 distinct from the endoplasm, and, if the body of the animal is 

 ruptured by a slight pressure on the coverslip, they are scattered 

 about in all directions. They are in all respects like the eye-like 

 pigment-spot, but smaller in size. It is difficult to see the inner 

 structure of the animal clearly on account of the presence of these 

 granules. 



Examined with the T2-in- oil immersion lens, the ectoplasm 

 is seen to be striated at the margins obliquely, but the ordinary- 

 magnification does not show these striations. The green colour 

 of the endoplasm can usually be seen without any difficult}' in the 

 living animal, but it can be seen much more easily if the body be 

 ruptured by pressure, when the endoplasm comes out in the form 

 of small, round, uniformly green globules, and the red granules and 

 the paramylum bodies are scattered about. 



In the free-swimming condition the animal is highl}' plastic, 

 assuming various shapes very rapidly. In its elongated state it is 

 generally cylindrical (sometimes oval owing to the posterior part 

 being larger than the anterior) ending posteriori}- rather abruptly 

 in a small tail-like process which is generall}- hj-aline, but may be 

 coloured like the rest of the bod}'. The anterior extremity is 

 bilabiate, one tip being larger than the other. The flagellum arises 

 out of the mouth and is equal in length to the length of the body. 

 The body in the elongated state is 477,7 to vAo of an inch long, 

 the breadth being one-fourth of the length. The large bright red 

 eye-like pigment- spot is situated anteriorly a little behind the 

 mouth. The vacuole is close to the pigment-spot, a little behind 

 and to one side. The paramylum bodies are numerous and of 

 various sizes. The largest have the size and shape of human red 

 corpuscles. They are biconcave or flat round or slightly oblong 

 bodies. The endoplast is ver}- indistinct on account of the red 

 granules. 



When the flageUum is present the animal moves forward very 

 rapidly, but when it is lost, as is frequently the case, the forward 

 movements are very slow. The euglenoid movements in both cases 

 are very active. 



In the encysted condition this animal resembles Euglena tuba, 

 Carter, very greatly, the encysted form being like a flask. It 

 differs from that species, however, in that it does not form any 

 mucilaginous network, in the tubular meshes of which that animal 

 is met with. The I^ahore Euglena forms a flat homogeneous layer 



