542 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
various writers Dr. Labbe concludes that in any case we must consider 
that, in almost all Protozoa, the nucleus, either in a state of repose or in 
one of division, is the homologue of the nucleus of the Metazoa, and 
that it is only in the ciliated Infusoria that we find two nuclei which 
are functionally different. The division of the organ and of the nuclear 
functions in the Ciliata appears to Dr. Labbe to be an abnormal phe- 
nomenon of a physiological nature which cannot be resolved merely by 
morphological factors. 
Thermotropism of Protozoa.* — Herr M. Mendelsohn has experimented 
with Paramsecium aurelia and Euglena viridis. The Infusorians (Para- 
msecium) move at once in the tube from an end at 88° C. to the other end 
at 26° C. But there are limits ; thus a temperature of 25° was preferred 
to 10°. The optimum is between 24° and 28° ; to temperatures under 24° 
the Infusorians are positively thermotropic, above 28° negatively. The 
optimum may be changed gradually to 30°-32° C. In a tube 10 cm. 
long the difference of the poles must be at least 3° if the thermotropic 
movements are to be observed. 
Marine Protozoa of Roscoff.f — Dr. A. Labbe has a short note on 
the Protozoic fauna of Roscoff, which appears to be peculiarly rich. In 
the aquarium, the water of which seems to be extremely favourable to 
ciliated Infusoria and to Acinetans, a large number of Cothurnidae were 
observed. One species, C. spinosa , appears to be new, and is remarkable 
for the spines set at regular distances which it carries on its test. Rhi- 
zopods are extremely numerous and Foraminifera very abundant. Of 
Amoeba there were several species. 
Foraminifera from the Arabian Sea.J — Mr. F. Chapman, whose 
papers are well known to readers of this Journal, has a report on some 
Foraminifera obtained from the Arabian Sea. The depths at which the 
soundings were obtained did not exceed 1238 fathoms, but no record 
was, unfortunately, kept of the depths at which the several soundings 
were dredged. A striking feature of the foraminiferal fauna of the 
Arabian Sea is the presence therein of a number of forms from marine 
clay-beds of late Pliocene age, on the northern coast of Kar Nicobar. 
There are altogether eight species new to the list of recent Foraminifera, 
which have formerly been regarded as fossil ; besides these there are 
two new species and three new varieties. The report is on the lines to 
which Mr. Chapman has accustomed us, and in it there are enumerated 
277 species. 
Paulinella.§ — Herr R. Lauterborn describes under the name of 
P. cJiromatopiiora a new genus and species of shell-bearing Rhizopods 
from fresh water, distinguished by containing bluish-green chromato- 
phores. The shell of this form is siliceous, rounded behind, somewhat 
tapering anteriorly, and having a neck-like process by which the proto- 
plasm can escape to form pseuuopodia. This shell is in life hyaline 
and transparent, but becomes of a feeble brown colour in dead examples. 
The protoplasmic contents do not completely fill the shell, but are 
* Biol. Centralbl., xv. (1895) pp. 556-7 ; Arch. Gesammte Physiol., lx. 
t Arch. Zool. Expe'r. et Gen., iii. (1895) pp. xiv. and xv. 
X Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1895, pp. 4-55 (1 pi.). 
§ Zeitsclir. f. wiss. Zool., lix. (1895) pp. 537-44 (1 pi.). 
