ANIMAL NATURE OF DIATOMEjE. 465 



distinguish, owing to their great variability in size and 

 proportion, on which account, too, their form is very 

 inconstant. 



48. Climacosphenia. — Bacilli a latere primario 

 cuneati, vittis longitudinalibus moniliformibus, altera 

 latere obovato-lanceolati, disseptis transversalibus in 

 loculos divisa. 



The two species contained in this genus (C. australis, 

 C. moniligera) , have nothing in common except the 

 monihform vittse. But in what these really consist we 

 cannot ascertain from the figures. In the first, Kiitzing 

 does not delineate the secondary surfaces, and from the 

 figure any one would say that he had drawn a 8j/nedra. 

 The second, again, resembles a Podosphenia. 



After this analysis of the family of Licmophorege 

 {PGdosphenia,Rhipidophora,LicmopJiora, Climacosphenia), 

 we can only repeat what has been said of the first two 

 genera. And as, in our opinion, we ought to exclude 

 from it the genus Licmophora and units this to the 

 Surirellese, it will also be right to change the name of 

 the family. Thus limited, it will remain allied to the 

 Gomphonemese more than to any other. As to the 

 so-called interanea, we have already recorded their 

 arrangement in distinct globular masses as in Melosira. 

 Ehrenberg, treating oi Podosphenia, says that this organic 

 condition is peculiar to young individuals ; and he says he 

 can distinguish, in the midst of the others, two of these 

 globules, which he regards as representing the male organs. 

 He asserts that, in some species, he has also seen the 

 gastric cells. But when they grow old, Ehrenberg him- 

 self says that this internal substance accumulates in a 

 central mass, which is frequently radiated. Kiitzing, again, 

 describes the internal substance as disposed in two strips 

 {fettucce), applied to the primary surfaces, which divide 

 themselves transversely into two or more parts, and finally 

 resolve themselves into globules. But he certainly must 

 have taken these particulars from the genus Licmophora. 



30 



