94 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
cystis turfaced (Carter) and^. Pertyana {rmki) sometimes present them- 
selves in this condition, and the present pair of examples of this form, 
so conjugated," have not been chosen by me for illustration merely 
on that account. Whilst as yet regarding such an example as that 
seen in Fig. 8 as a younger specimen of A . spinifera, yet it may be 
worthy of mention that even such minute forms occasionally present 
themselves ^' conjugated" — ^just a possible argument, indeed, , that they 
may be actually distinct, supposing " zygosis" to indicate '^'maturity." 
It might, however, be held by some that such a condition does not 
really represent a case of " conjugation" of two distinct individuals, 
but rather of incomplete self-fission of a single individual ; but, although 
the true import of the phenomenon remains very problematic, still 1 
think a consideration, to be mentioned below, seems to indicate that 
this does not represent an act of mere division, but really represents 
two individuals" in a state effusion or zygosis." Accepting it as 
true that so it is in the case before us, perhaps the only circumstance 
directly connected with this particular condition really worthy of 
being drawn attention to, is, that the radial or vertical spines are 
distributed seemingly as evenly over the broad connecting isthmus, or 
commissure, as at any other portion of the circumference of the conjoined 
pair of individuals, showing that during the original act of fusion, by 
mutual putting forth of a projection from each inner sarcode-body, the 
spines must have become raised up thereby, and, as it were, shunted 
aside, so as still, however, to come to stand vertically on the exterior 
of the broad connecting isthmus. There is no apparent line of demarca- 
tion evident between the two conjoined individuals; nor could it be 
decided, as regards certain of the spicula, standing, as it were, half-way, 
to which of the conjugated individuals they may have originally be- 
longed ; nay, it is just conceivable that, after separation, there may 
even take place an actual mutual interchange of a few of these. 
But the point which most of all deserves consideration in the speci- 
men before us, and probably that which would next attract attention on 
looking at the figure, is indicated by the small bright red round body 
at the middle of each of the '^conjugated" pair of individuals, the 
high colour presented being due to the extent to which the carmine 
dye has been absorbed. I would here refer to Greeff's figures of 
living specimens of this form"^' to show the appearance presented by the 
presumed "central capsule," which I was able very well to see in 
many of the examples I have had under examination. In relation to 
this form and its central body, GreeJff nowhere, however, goes so far as 
to call it a " central capsule" (he refers to it as a " centrales kernar- 
tiges Gebilde ; " in another place as '' Kern ;" again, as ''centrale 
Blase"). But to the very similar, nay, seemingly quite identical-look- 
ing body in species of Astrodisculus, he does not seem to hesitate to 
apply the term central capsule." To my eyes, this has here a some- 
what solid-looking aspect and appears colourless, and of course pre_ 
Loc. cit., t. xxvii. Fig. 20, 32. 
