74 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
investment at all points to the body-mass, but, at first sight, to be even 
in complete nnion therewith. Eut this latter is not the case, for more 
exact examination of a number of examples shows, not only that it can 
become locally, though but slightly, removed from contact with the 
body-mass, but also that, in the majority of cases, a region of the body 
exists from which this outer coat appears to be absent. That this 
outer coat is in reality not only a completely diiferentiated portion of the 
creature's structure, but even, so to say, an independent part of 
its organization, is shown not only by meeting occasionally the empty, 
as it were discarded, coats in the water (Fig. 4), but by the action 
of re-agents on ordinary examples, as I shall presently allude to 
(Mg. 5). ^ . ^ 
I have mentioned that very often a portion or region of the surface 
of the living sarcode body of this rhizopod appears to be destitute of 
this coat, around which the latter often appears to thin off, retaining 
however its ordinary superficial characteristics. And it is from just 
this region that the greater part of the conical or slender tapering 
pseudopodia, above described, emanate. Sometimes the outer coat 
appears to push up here all round, and a somewhat broad projection of 
the sarcode body comes forth, this giving off a considerable number of 
the pseudopodia, projecting outwards like a crown, or, may I say, like 
an " aurora f'' (See Pigs. 1 and 2.) Tor, like an aurora, in a few 
minutes, the tuft of pseudopodia seems to change, and they perhaps 
then disappear. 
But what is more remarkable, not only do pseudopodia emanate 
from this seeming vacant part of the investing coat, but the body- 
mass occasionally can project a short blunt conical pseudopodium, 
sometimes, even simultaneously two or three, from indifferent portions 
of its surface. jN'ow the singular circumstance here is, that such a 
pseudopodium does not, as one might at first suppose, push up the 
outer coat before it, thus creating an interval or space between it and 
the body-mass, but, what is more curious, urges or bores its way right 
through the outer coat, and projects beyond it (Fig. 2). Such a 
pseudopodium appears to be more transitory or evanescent than those 
emanating from the ordinary region, and is usually pretty soon re- 
tracted. But, what is still more extraordinary, than its boring its way 
out, is that, on being again withdrawn there is not a trace apparent 
of the place through which it passed, just as if the aperture in the 
coat, which must have existed, became (as it were) completely healed 
Of course the possibility suggests itself that the outer coat may, in 
reality, be pushed up before the advancing pseudopodium, and in the 
act becomes so thinned and attenuated as to present the appearance of 
a naked pseudopodium. But, admitting the possibility that, from its 
acquired tenuity, the outer coat, which would thus clothe the pseudo- 
podium, would escape detection, still, I think the superficial hair-like 
processes would hardly be obliterated all along the stretched outer coat, 
and must present themselves to view, even if seemingly more sparsely 
