391 
ami being thus often above or below the plane of the focus, 
readily eluded observation. 1 can in no way account for 
the proclivity of this little rhizopod for poising itself 
amongst the branches of the alga referred to, between which 
it sent its own ramifying pseudopodia in various directions. 
Those who will take alook at tliedrawing(Pl.XX,figs. 9, 1 1) 
may, perhaps, forgive my momentary misconception that I had 
a Chytridium before me, the pseudopodia being, perhaps, some- 
what like the root-processes of the organisms appertaining to 
that type, the test corresponding to, and resembling not a 
little, the orbicular body of a Chytridium plant, which at 
maturity becomes ultimately the sporangium. But a more 
prolonged observation showed a slow, but not the less actual, 
flow of the granules along the branching, and here and there 
incorporating pseudopodia ; nay, the circumstance that two, 
three or four, or even more individuals, might not un frequently 
be found united by a mutual fusion of their pseudopodia in a 
more or less reticulate manner, and seemingly carrying on a 
common life, abundantly proved the true nature of this 
organism. 
This, then,, is an undoubted rhizopod. It possesses a 
minute, nearly orbicular, or very broadly elliptic, quite 
hyaline, colourless and smooth test, which encloses a sarcode 
body-mass of a bluish kind of tint and densely granular ap- 
pearance, resembling that seen in the so-called nucleus of 
Amoeba and others. This in the greater number of cases, 
when the examples arc fresh, does not come into contact with 
the inner surface of the test, from which it mostly seems to 
stand off some appreciable distance, partially or all round, 
though occasionally closely invested by it. At one point of 
the test, sometimes indicated by a gentle elevation in its 
figure, is given forth an emanation of the sarcode, hyaline in 
appearance as compared with the central body-mass, and 
from this proceed, in variously extending ramifications, the 
sometimes very long pseudopodia. These pseudopodia branch 
considerably, and inosculate at different points, not only with 
those of the same example, but frequently also, as has been 
mentioned, with those of neighbouring individuals (fig. 7). 
The pseudopodia sometimes assume even fantastically 
drawn out, remotely extending, ramifications (figs. 7, 8) ; they 
sometimes proceed, though this far less commonly, as a 
vertical slender stem, and then branch off in a dendroid 
manner at the top (fig. 9) ; they often, however, emanate 
simply as a tuft or shrub-like cluster (fig. 11), and a few 
often singly, or in minor groups, are directed backwards. 
The pseudopodia themselves are hyaline, but carry a con- 
VOL. IX. NEW SER. C C 
