418 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
Mr. W. H. Shrubsole said he had brought to the meeting a few 
living specimens of Gromia, and as now shown under one of the Micro- 
scopes upon the table the pseudopodia were to be seen all extended, 
rendering it a very interesting object. One peculiarity to be noticed 
was that instead of there being but one aperture there was a zone of 
small apertures round a central aperture, which he thought was a good 
reason why this object should be removed from the Monosiomia. Another 
object he exhibited was a naked Rhizopod closely allied to Lieberkuhnia , 
and answering the description of it so nearly that the only difference 
appeared to be that the one had an investing envelope of something, and 
the other had not. It was known that Gromia had the power of throwing 
off its outer coating, in fact, when first taken the whole of the forms 
would be found with their investing coatings, but after a few days the 
naked forms would appear, and it was, he thought, very likely that 
Gromia could become Lieberkuhnia by thus throwing off its outer robe. 
A third object, which he was showing, consisted of some Foraminifera be- 
longing to the Reticulosa, which might be described as “ linear-tubular ” 
with slightly tapering ends, and with a single aperture at either end, so that 
it was very beautiful to see the pseudopodia extended from both ends and to 
see the currents produced by them. They were cot very easy to examine, 
because they w’ould not separate themselves from the mud, and when 
shaken up they would generally fix themselves to the glass very firmly 
by the two ends pulling against each other. In principle this organism 
resembled Shejphear della, but it was not exactly like it. In recently 
looking into the c Challenger ’ reports he found a form called Astrorhiza 
granulosa, the description of which might apply to nearly every form 
he was showing. Though alike in appearance the difference between 
them in one respect was great, the one being found in the mud in the 
salt marshes, whilst the other came from deep water of not less than 
1000 fathoms. 
The Gromia had a remarkable faculty for collecting dirt particles 
about it, so that very often small patches of mud might be seen with 
cilia proceeding from the ends. And these tenacious things could hold 
on to and kill infusoria much larger and higher in the scale of life than 
themselves. He had also on the previous day obtained from the water 
off Sheerness some masses of a dirty looking substance containing all 
sorts of forms of gelatinous objects in which were imbedded a number 
of granules. He had first called attention to these some years ago in 
1 Nature,’ and had since tried without success to develope them. They 
were the cause of what the fishermen called “ foul water ” or “ May 
water ” ; they were only seen at certain seasons and for a short time, 
and it would be an interesting inquiry to find out what became of 
them. 
Prof. Bell felt sure when Mr. Shrubsole called upon him a short 
time ago, that he would be able to interest the Society with an account 
of what he had been observing. Mr. Shrubsole was well known to many 
of those present on account of his investigations of the organisms found 
at the mouth of the Thames, but he believed this was the first time he 
had come amongst them with a communication of this kind, and he 
hoped that it would not be the last, but that he would be able to con- 
tinue the study of these organisms, and that at some future time they 
