14 Supposed New Species of Acinetan. 
more like P. buckii than any other species heretofore described, 
but differs from it in possessing a distinctly compressed instead of 
cylindrical body, and in having a distinct, though short and thick 
pedicle. 
Whether this is a new species or not, the observations made on its 
food ingestion and reproduction are, erbane, of sufficient interest 
to justify publication. 
Although in two instances this animal was observed to capture 
ciliated Infusorians, its preference is decidedly for the Ameeba, 
which are abundant in the aquarium referred to. No sooner does 
an Ameeba come within reach of the long suctorial tentacles of the 
Acinetan than the dish-shaped suckers fasten firmly on their prey 
and draw it nearer to the body of the captor. On some occasions 
the capture. and subsequent ingestion were observed to be effected 
by one tentacle only, while on others many were employed in the 
operation. In one instance three Amæba were held and ingested 
at once (Fig. 1). 
The ectosare is soon punctured, how we could not discover, and 
almost immediately the body of the Amceba begins to decrease in 
size, its rounded outlines disappear, and in a short time after the 
capture it is reduced to a shapeless mass of flat and wrinkled 
ectosare, the endosare having been completely sucked away with 
the exception of the remains of diatoms and other objects too 
large to be drawn through the tentacular canal. The investment 
of ectosare is then discarded, and the tentacles withdrawn and 
made ready for other victims. 
The above observations were made with a one-fifth objective. 
A one-twelfth immersion objective yielded still more interesting 
and instructive results. As good fortune would have it, the 
Acinetan under observation almost immediately captured two 
Ameeba. One was caught at first by one tentacle only, which was 
then partially retracted, when several other tentacles curved 
around and grasped the prey in a close embrace, at the same time 
applying their several suckers, which seemed to be pressed out flat 
against the outside of the Amceba. In a few seconds the ectosare 
was pierced, when suddenly a rapid stream of granular protoplasm 
was seen flowing down the interior of the tentacles and into the 
body of the captor. So strong was this current that the particles 
flowing through the tentacles were forced in a rapid stream some 
distance into the parenchyma of the Acinetan, while in the body 
