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shaped, from the rounded base to the finely drawn out 
point about 0‘06 mm. long, at the broadest point (just before 
the hinder rounded -off end) 0’012 mm. broad. The hinder 
portion of the sporule soon became more globular, rounded 
itself off more egg-shaped, and very gradually became atten- 
uated in a conical slender neck, which then produced itself, 
becoming thinner, into a very fine tail. The motion of this 
tail (flagellum) was more pendulous or parabolical than 
serpentine. The tail dragged along the entire germ with it 
by its continuous and very lively motions. The germ was 
thoroughly simple and homogeneous throughout its whole 
mass, without a trace of any nucleus or contractile vacuole, 
likewise without a trace of membrane, and was entirely com- 
posed of the yellowish-red ground substance of the plasma, 
in which very fine red granules were imbedded. On applica- 
tion of solution of iodine the germs were immediately 
brought to a standstill, and coloured deep yellowish-brown. 
It was now quite manifest that the entire germ was structure- 
less throughout, and thereby the morphological status of the 
simplest conceivable organic individual was that of a naked 
cytode or gymnocytode. Besides the extremely fine red 
granules, there was no difference in composition throughout 
the homogeneous plasma-mass to be observed. The tail was 
nothing more than a drawn-out hair-like projection of the 
plasma or of the sarcode itself. When the movements of the 
sporules (or the swarming gymnocytodians) of Protomyxa 
were more closely observed, they were found to be extremely 
similar to those of the sporules of the Myxomycetae. De 
Bary’s description applies as well to the one as to the other. 
The motions of the spores consist in an advancing movement 
towards the front end, combined with a rotation of the whole 
body on its longitudinal axis, whereby if it is extended it 
winds itself in the curve of a cone, wdiose base is formed by 
the circumscribed front end, and w r hose point is formed by 
the hinder end. The base describes the largest circle, and 
every other point on the surface of the body a smaller one in 
proportion as it lies nearer the hinder end. Meantime the 
cilium was always undulating like a whip-lash from one side 
to the other, which motion produced a backward waving or 
swinging in the body. The rotation is often wanting, and 
the last form of movement is alone present, or both alternate 
with one another. Simultaneously with these movements and 
changes of places, the body shows continual changes in its 
outline — worm-like twistings, alternating on different sides, 
contraction into a more globular form and re-expansion, peri- 
staltic contractions, and, finally, the protrusion of small 
