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On the identity of a Colouring Matter present in several 

 Animals with the Chlorophyle of Plants. By M. Max. 

 Schultze of Greifswald. 



The author enumerates several animals of a green colour 

 which are common in ditches and marshes — such as Hydra 

 viridis, several green Turoellarim, Vortex viridis, Mesosto- 

 mum viridatum, and Derostomum cazcum ; and also several 

 green infusoria, such as Stentor polymorphus, Ophrydium 

 versatile, Bursaria vernalis, &c. The colour in these animals 

 is afforded by minute green globules, about 0-016 inch in dia- 

 meter, which are situated under the integument in the par- 

 enchyma of the animals. They are perfectly spherical, and 

 exhibit within the green substance an extremely minute, 

 colourless, and homogeneous nucleus ; or they may consist of 

 several minute green globules, grouped together in a mul- 

 berry form ; in this latter case they arise from the division 

 of a homogeneous vesicle. 



This green colouring substance is not altered by dilute acids 

 or alkaline solutions ; by which it is distinguished from the 

 green colouring matter of several Algse, which, according to 

 Nageli, is changed into a yellow, orange, or red by the same 

 re-agents. Concentrated sulphuric and muriatic acids dissolve 

 the colouring matter ; the solution is of a beautiful green or 

 bluish-green colour, unchanged by the action of heat ; it is also 

 dissolved by a concentrated solution of potass, by ammonia, 

 alcohol, and ether, the colour precisely resembling that of a 

 solution of chlorophyle. 



Its development, also, is influenced in the same way as 

 that of a vegetable chlorophyle by light ; but animals con- 

 taining it do not evolve oxygen, and the author thence con- 

 cludes that the evolution of that gas is not solely dependent 

 upon the chlorophyle in plants. 



In Vortex viridis, the minute green globules, owing to 

 their mutual compression, assume an hexagonal form — the 

 green compartments thus formed are separated by an inter- 

 stitial colourless substance. The existence of a colourless 

 membrane around each green vesicle may thence be deduced. 



