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of the congealed plasma, in a similar way to that of several 
Diatomacea? and our Actinosphcerium Eichhornii, as opposed 
to most of the other Rhizopoda. 
In its entire form and size, in the consistency of the 
tough and inflexible plasma-threads, their slight inclination 
to ramification and anastomosis, and slow-moving granules, 
this Moner resembles the well-known Actinosphcerium Eich- 
hornii as also in its taking of nourishment. This it was easy to 
observe as soon as one followed the small bodies which, swim- 
ming about in the water round'our jelly-ball, came within the 
circle of its rays. These were especially Diatomaceae, Peri- 
diniae, the Nauplius-form of different Crustacea, and several 
Infusoria (fig. 23). 
As soon as one of these swarming bodies came among the 
rays of the Moner it rested on it, apparently in consequence 
of the slimy nature of their surface. On trying to disengage 
itself it irritated the neighbouring pseudopods by its uneasy 
motions, and now these spread themselves slowly over the 
captured prey from all sides, just as is known to occur in 
Actinospluerium. Usually, single threads were to be ob- 
served among them, which, after longer continued contact, 
formed a true anastomosis. But these did not always appear 
to envelope the prey and to surround it with a continuous 
sarcode covering, as is the case in most true Rhizopoda. 
Rather it seemed that the stiff pseudopods, which pressed 
closer and closer round the captured prey, often only dragged 
it to the surface of the central plasma-ball, and finally drew 
it into the tough viscous mass itself (fig. 23). On the surface, 
a shallow groove formed for the reception of the foreign body 
became deeper 5 and deeper, and finally closed again over 
it. Sometimes a small quantity of sea-water w T as sucked in 
with it at the same time, so that the morsel seemed to lie in a 
vacuole of circular outline. The swallowed prey, whose 
movements had generally already ceased before it was taken 
into the central body, was now slowly and gradually drawn 
into the centre of the latter, and there digested. The in- 
digestible remains were slowly rejected in the same way, 
generally encompassed by a little fluid, as by a globular alveo- 
lus. The surface of the central viscous ball opened at an 
indifferent spot, and between the bases of the pseudopods the 
excrementa issued forth. While in all these respects our 
Moner is very similar to the well-known Actinosphcerium Eich- 
hornii, on the other hand it showed by closer examination such 
differences as to prove itself to be a very different Protozoon. 
Actinosphserium is easily distinguished from all known simi- 
lar Protozoa by two different anatomical peculiarities — first. 
