PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY. 
807 
might say that he still objected to the term pseudopodia being applied 
to these processes unless it could be shown that they were actual pro- 
longations of the internal protoplasm of the object. If, as would appear 
from the description and drawings, they were connected with the 
external layers only, then they certainly were not pseudopodia. Prof. 
Biitschli had described some prolongations from a species of Pinnularia , 
but these were undoubtedly connected with the external and not with the 
internal structure, which to his mind at once showed that they were not 
pseudopodia. 
Mr. T. Comber said he believed this kind of thing had been seen by 
Prof. Greville, and also by Prof. Grunow, who was of opinion that they 
were in reality spines. He believed that they would prove to be of 
great interest very shortly, in consequence of observations which were 
being brought to completion and would soon be published. As regarded 
Cyclotella , the idea that these processes were probably due to some sort of 
Vampyrella seemed to be unlikely, because if they were found in every 
form in a gathering it would certainly seem as if they were not simply 
parasitic, but rather something belonging to the diatom. As to the third 
species, it was probably a Lasiosira, the characters of which were that 
the frustules were connected by a long thread of mucus. With regard to 
the structure shown upon the board, it seemed to him that, having been 
treated with carbolic acid, it was conclusively shown that it could not 
be organic. 
Mr. G. C. Karop said he quite agreed with Mr. Bennett that these 
processes were not pseudopodia. He had seen Mr. Grenfell’s prepara- 
tions on several occasions, and was still of opinion that the processes 
were something adventitious. As to the frequency of Vampyrella or 
similar organisms negativing the idea that such things were parasitic, he 
remembered some observations in which it was recorded that scarcely 
any diatoms in one gathering were free from these parasites. It was 
impossible offhand to say what the threads were in Mr. Grenfell’s last 
example, but the description tallied to some extent with Bhizidium , 
which fungus entangled diatoms freely in its delicate ramifying mycele. 
The spores were covered with a mucous envelope, which would resist 
the action of carbolic acid unless very strong; indeed, this substance 
was much overrated as a germicide. 
The President inquired whether Mr. Grenfell had found these 
things to occur both in species which had and in those which had not 
been treated with carbolic acid ; also, what was the strength of the 
acid ? 
Mr. Grenfell said he had found them in both cases ; though he had 
not found them in the material whilst in the acid, he had found them 
developed in the test-tubes in which he had put some which had been in 
a bottle with acid for fifteen months; after taking it out he had 
thoroughly washed it in distilled water before placing it in the tubes. 
The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Grenfell for his 
communication. 
The President having inspected the ballot-box, stated that as some 
adverse votes had been cast it would be necessary for the candidates for 
election to be balloted for separately. 
