460 EVENINGS AT THE MICEOSCOPE. 



of the brim. The cilia themselves cannot be distin- 

 guished, but their optical expression is curious. At 

 the two opposite points of the circular margin, as seen 

 in perspective when slightly inclined towards the ob- 

 server, viz., at those points where the cilia, from their 

 position with regard to the eye, would be crowded to- 

 gether, there are seen two dark dashes, representing, 

 doubtless, two ciliary waves, but which have all the 

 appearance of tangible objects, sometimes withdrawn, 

 sometimes protruded, and often vibrating with a rapid 

 snatching movement. 



These vases are of the usual appearance in Infuso- 

 ria. Their substance is the clear transparent colourless 

 sarcode, but it contains within it more or less of the 

 cloudy nebulous matter which we have been lately 

 familiar with. There are several globular vesicles or 

 vacuoles, some ready to imbibe colour from pigment, 

 and others already occupied with brown food, while in 

 each case we see, near the centre of the vase, a longish 

 body of clear granular texture, which is called the 

 nucleus, and which seems to play an essential part in 

 the vital economy of the animal. 



The movements of a group such as that we are 

 looking at are very sprightly and pleasing. The vases 

 turned in all directions, some presenting their mouths, 

 some their sides, some their bases to the eye ; inclined 

 at various angles from the perpendicular, and bending 

 in diverse degrees upon the extremity of their stalks ; 

 swaying slowly and gracefully to and fro, as driven 

 hither and thither by the ciliary currents, and, above 

 all, ever flying up and down within the length of their 

 radius, as a bird when confined by a string ; — all these 

 circumstances impart a charm to this elegant animal- 



