84 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
as a large round body (nucleus), which structures make themselves evi- 
dent by their somewhat clearer appearance. The violet colouring sub- 
stance is, however, very sensitive, and readily destroyed by the gentle 
action of acids, alkalies, alcohol, iodine, &c., and then the contents, 
having become considerably clearer, can be examined. Sometimes com- 
pression succeeds in extruding and isolating, uninj ured, the contents and 
the most important parts. Amongst the varied kinds of food expelled 
(Diatoms, Arcellee, Eugiyphae, &c.), a large round body, the ''nucleus," 
at once strikes the eye. This measures about 0*04™"' in diameter, and 
has a rather soft consistence. This resembles in structure that of 
Amoeba." [The author here adduces that of his A terrieola, previously 
described by him : a perfectly hyaline investment surrounds a space 
which is completely filled with round solid granules, and the author 
has every reason to suppose that the progress of development of these 
granules is essentially the same as in Aynoela terrieola, although he has 
not yet been successful in observing the transitional forms. The 
author here alludes to a breaking up of the nucleus and scattering 
around of the granules, each one the germ of a young Amoeba, by suc- 
cessive stages, putting on the character of the mature form— see the 
preceding portion of this memoir on Ammla terrieola], " The young of 
AmpMzonella violacea''' (continues GreeiF), " or what appeared allowable to 
be regarded as such, were still destitute of the above-described hyaline 
outer coat, and were naked, as if it appeared those were developed only 
at a certain stage ;" [the au.thor adds, however, that these conditions 
demand a closer investigation.] 
^' The movements of this creature" (says the author) " are pe- 
culiar — the contractions and modifications of form of the whole body 
take place exceedingly sluggishly, and the form must be observed care- 
fully and persistently in order to make one certain about them. These 
consist ordinarily of only slight undulate projections from the circumfer- 
ence of the body, the roundish form of which only exceptionally passes 
over into an oval. In all tliese general movements of the body the 
outer capsule takes a constant, if, indeed, only a secondary part, in 
that it readily yields to every impulse outwards of the inner body. 
" The movements of the sword- or finger-like pseudopodia, projected 
from the interior, evince themselves difi^erently. These project forth 
with a perfectly hyaline blunt aj^ex, pushiug on in advance only a 
simple contour, never [according to the author's observation] the 
double contour of the outer coat, thus proving that the latter becomes 
perforated with readiness, by the inserting of the cuneate process." 
[The author adds, that] ' ' This fact is confirmed by the circumstance that 
the pseudopodium can be frequently followed through the outer cap- 
sule down to its basis — that is to say, to its origin in the interior 
of the body-mass. Ordinarily, the pseudopodia clo not extend out- 
wards beyond a certain limit, remaining hyaline throughout the whole 
length ; if however, they become more elongated, which rarely happens, 
then a dark and coarsely granular substance streams forth from the 
interior into them, not, however, pressing on further than about half- 
