42 
mia among the Acyttaria, or in Physarum among the Myxo- 
mycetse. The numerous scattered red granules which are set 
in motion by the reciprocal movements of the disarranged 
plasma molecules, and are passively carried away by the 
active sarcode current, allowed the courses of the current to 
be very clearly traced. These courses have no fixed direc- 
tion, and are in continual change. With the larger stream- 
threads one could often plainly notice a centrifugal close to 
a centripetal stream. The rapidity, direction, and strength 
of the streams varied continually. The broad polygonal 
sarcode patches which were easily seen to form at the anas- 
tomosis of two branches of the stream appeared and dis- 
appeared ; and thus showed with remarkable clearness the 
thoroughly homogeneous character of the entire contractile 
plasma substance. Nothing could be perceived of a division 
into a thicker outer layer and a thinner fluid inner layer, as 
occurs in many Hhizopoda and Myxomyceta?. 
Besides the numerous red granules, other larger foreign 
bodies were carried away by the sarcode current ; these had 
been taken as nourishment, especially pelagic infusoria and 
Diatomaceae, which form the chief nourishment of the Proto- 
myxa. The individual represented at fig. 11 had devoured 
two Isthmiac and three 'l'intinnoidse with a siliceous net- 
work (two Dictyocysta elegans and one D. mitra ), and was 
nevertheless already again on the point of drawing a Peri- 
dinium into its body. Food was taken in the same way as 
in the true Rhizopoda. The process of taking food could 
plainly be followed with free swimming Diatomaceae, which 
I placed in the watch-glass containing the Protomyxa. As 
soon as a stretched-out plasma thread came in contact with 
one of these bodies, a stronger flow of plasma to this side 
followed. Neighbouring threads gathered round and coa- 
lesced with the first. In a short time the siliceous cell of 
the diatom was surrounded by a layer of protoplasma, and 
was now drawn into the central mass of the body by retrac- 
tion of the divided plasma threads. The digestion of the 
prey consisted simply in an extraction and assimilation of 
the yellowish-brown plasma contents of the siliceous cell. 
The siliceous membrane of the prey did not seem to be at 
all affected ; and the empty shell was again rejected by the 
contraction of the soft, central mass. 
(To be continued.) 
