ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 427 
and from 126 in tlie Pacific. There appears to be a sudden decrease of 
foraminiferal life below a depth of 1200 fathoms in these seas. It often 
happens that, in greater depths, the whole shell deposit of pelagic forms 
seems to be in a state of decay, probably owing to the chemical condition 
of the deep water. It is probable too that a constant snowing down of 
dead pelagic forms may be injurious to many of the delicate organisms, 
leaving unimpaired only the stronger which may occur in such localities. 
Our material is at present too limited to allow us to make any trust- 
worthy comparison between the faun® of either side of the isthmus of 
Panama, but it may be said with some certainty that the deep-water 
fauna of both seas is nearly common for the two. A large number of 
species are reported on, a small proportion of which is new. 
Synopsis of Heliozoa.* — Dr. F. Schaudinn has prepared a synopsis 
of the Heliozoa, which the German Zoological Society has sent out as 
a type of the method by which they propose to form a complete synoj)sis 
of the Animal Kingdom. We learn that rough calculations, lately made 
by contributors to the ‘ Zoological Kecord,’ result in the belief that some 
360,000 species of animals have been described up to the present date. 
It will be seen, therefore, that the German Zoological Society has 
undertaken an enormous task ; in selecting Prof. F. E. Schultze of Berlin 
as the general editor they have given the best assurance they can that 
the work will be well and successfully done. Dr. Schaudinn’s synopsis 
shows that it is proposed to give a short diagnosis of the species, with 
keys to the genera, and a limited number of figures. In addition to a 
number of well-known German naturalists, who have undertaken to take 
part in the work, we notice the names of Prof. R. Blanchard, who makes 
himself responsible for the leeches, Mr. Ogilvie-Grant takes the 
pheasants, the Honourable Walter Rothschild the birds of paradise, 
and Mr. Stebbing, as may be supposed, will deal with the amphipod 
Crustacea. 
New Radiolarian.j — Herr W. Karawaiew describes a unique Radio- 
larian from Villafranca, of which, however, he found only one specimen. 
The spherical cell was traversed by six thin spicules, arranged in 
parallel pairs, and reaching to near the centre. Besides these there 
were very numerous minute spicules, and also extremely fine hair-like 
spines lying in little groups. 
Ectoparasites of Ligidium.j; — Herr B. Nemec describes, from the 
Isopod Ligidium agile , a new Rhizopod ectoparasite .Discella Ligidii 
g. et sp. n. ; and two new species of Infusorians Chilodon longidens 
and Opercularia epistyliformis. 
Development of Spermatobium.§ — Mr. G. Eisen has a short memoir 
on the various stages of development of Spermatobium , with notes on other 
parasitic Sporozoa. Spermatobium is a new genus, found parasitic in two 
earthworms which inhabit the Pacific Coast of North America. In both 
species the parasite is confined to the sperm-sacs, where in the young 
stages it occupies the interior of a sperm-cell, but in the later stages it 
* Berlin, 1896, 8vo, 24 pp. 
t Zool. Anzeig., xix. (1896) pp. 185-7 (1 fig.). 
t SB. K. Bokm. Ges. Wiss., 1895 (Bohemian), 13 pp. and 1 pi. 
§ Proc. Californ. Acad. Sci., v. (1895) pp. 1-33 (1 pi.). 
