ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
379 
Protozoa. 
Vitality of Germs of Microscopic Organisms.* * * § — M. A. Certes, who 
has for fourteen years been experimenting on the vitality of germs, 
communicates the results of his observations. All sedimentary deposits, 
whatever their origin and however long their period of desiccation, give 
when cultivated various microbes belonging either to rare or to well- 
known species. Cultivations of marine sediments taken from the sur- 
face (debris, Algas, &c.), or from great depths, do not produce either 
ciliated Infusoria or higher animals. Small organisms, to be dis- 
cussed on a future occasion, were found in addition to microbes, 
Rhizopods, and Flagella! a. Cultivations of sediments of fresh or 
brackish water, and, more certainly, of hay, leaves, and dry grasses, 
always give Flagellata and Ciliata and sometimes Rotifers and Anne- 
lids. The same is true of salt lakes. 
It follows, therefore, that matters are so arranged that the repopu- 
lation of lakes and marshes is assured even after the most prolonged 
periods of drought to which they are subjected. But this law does not 
apply to marine species which are never subjected to prolonged desiccation. 
Foraminifera of Southport.f — Mr. G. W. Chaster has a report on 
the Foraminifera of the Southport Society of Natural Science District ; 
a few of the forms met with in shore gatherings have as yet only been 
recorded from considerable depths ; among them are Nodosaria calo- 
morpha Reuss, and Haplophragmium anceps Brady. As a basis for the 
present report the author has taken Mr. H. B. Brady’s ‘ Synopsis of 
Recent British Foraminifera ’ published in our Transactions for 1890. 
The new species are Bheopliax scotti, Textularia fusiformis, Clavulina 
obscura , Lagena milletti, L. falcata, L. depressa, L. protea , Lingulina 
herdmani, Discorbina minutissima, and Pulvinulina nitidula. 
Myxosporidium bryozoides.j; — Prof. A. Korotneff describes a 
Myxosporidium which he found living on the freshwater Bryozoon 
Alcyonella fungosa ; it is the only Amoeboid form which appears to 
belong to the Myxosporidia. The size of the masses formed by it varies 
considerably from 0*02 mm. to O’ 2. The form varies with the size, 
the smaller being spherical, the larger oval or lobate. The protoplasmic 
bodies are naked and amoeboid, the endosarc is strongly granular and 
the ectosarc hyaline. The pseudopodia formed by the latter are very 
fine, and are ordinarily developed at one part of the body only. The 
processes often form small, branched tufts, and they appear, at times, 
to serve as means by which the Myxosporidia are attached to tho 
funiculus of the Bryozoon. In the endosarc, which appears to take no 
part in forming the pseudopodia, there are a number of small cell- 
nuclei, in which nucleoli can be distinguished, and special spores, the 
structure of which could not be satisfactorily made out owing to the re- 
sistance of their shells. These spores appear to have an endogenous origin. 
New Marine Rhizopod.§ — Under the name of Pontomyxa jiava 
M. E. Topsent describes a new reticulose Amoeboid which he found 
* Comptes Rendus, cxiv. (1892) pp. 425-8. 
t Southport Soc. Nat. Sci., i. (1892) pp. 54-72 (1 pi.). 
+ Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Zoo]., liii. (1892) pp. 591-6 (1 pi.). 
§ Comptes Rendus, exiv. (1892) pp. 774-5. 
