OF CILIATED INFUSORIA 255 



previously. This creature is shown, looked at from above and 

 with the eggs in focus, in Fig. 56, A (x 150). It will be seen that 

 instead of four eggs in linear series, the last but one is replaced 

 by two eggs, side by side. There was no other ' Sloth ' beneath 

 this cover-glass, and fortunately it was lying alone, apart from 

 other matter or organisms. After photographing the specimen, 

 the microscope slip on which it was contained was replaced in 

 the damp chamber. Three days later, at midnight, before putting 

 away my work, I fortunately examined this specimen again, and 

 found, as I had done on the previous day, that the two anterior 

 eggs had become much altered and in part disintegrated — their 

 lining membrane, and part of their contents, had apparently dis- 

 appeared, so that there was a light, single granular mass in 

 the situation which the two eggs had previously occupied. Now, 

 also, the hinder egg was seen occupying more of the posterior 

 extremity of the animal ; and attentive examination showed that 

 the whole mass was very slowly — almost imperceptibly — revolving 

 within a limiting membrane, and occasionally a flicker of cilia 

 could be seen. It was likewise clear that the whole mass was 

 now largely composed of small corpuscles such as seem to be 

 forming in the anterior egg shown in Fig. 55, B. As soon as 

 these facts were clearly made out I photographed the specimen 

 with a brief exposure, and the result is shown in Fig. 56, B 

 (X ISO). 



The slip was then replaced in the damp chamber with the 

 addition of a little more distilled water to the edge of the cover- 

 glass, and bearing in mind the rapidity with which the changes 

 had taken place in two other specimens of Macrobiotus, I 

 determined to examine this specimen again after two hours. 

 Accordingly, at 2 a.m. on May 13 I again put the specimen under 

 the microscope and then found that there were two masses 

 revolving, and rather more quickly, instead of one — the new 

 Ciliate being situated anteriorly and partly concealing that which 

 was first seen. This is only obscurely indicated by the photo- 

 graph then taken, a reproduction of which is shown in C (x 150). 



No examination was made again till after the expiration of 

 seven hours, and the condition then found is shown in D 

 ( X 200). The two great Ciliates had by this time got into the 

 anterior part of the body, and were revolving more rapidly while 

 the other three eggs were disintegrated. As I did not wish to kill 

 the CiUates at this stage I took a photograph of the specimen at a 



