OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROTOZOA 
351 
stvlonichian longer than its own body. Despite most vigorous 
efforts the stylonieliian was held fast, and impaled by more ten- 
tacles until in a short time two w T hole fascicles were imbedded 
to their bases in the victim’s body, the flow of protoplasm being 
plainly seen through the tentacles. With a thread siphon this 
slide was kept moist and under observation for twelve hours. 
At no time did the body of the suctorian move (in fact it was so 
large it had little room under the cover glass) but the free 
tentacles were shot in and out with rapidity. The central ten- 
tacle of each group w^as less mobile and only gradually increased 
its length. Seldom did the tentacles curve. The victim, how- 
ever, kept up a frantic struggle for perhaps two hours, and a 
continuous oscillation of the cilia and styles for six or eight- 
hours more. About nine P. M. the almost empty cuticulum was 
abandoned and the suctorian, apparently too well gorged to ac- 
comodate even the vacuole, had withdrawn all save the stub 
of the central tenta des (see 61, figure 57). It was now impossible 
to distinguish any space between lorica and contents. No nu- 
cleus was visible, but the scattered fragments which seemed to 
resemble nuclear material were interpreted as an indication of 
a possible spore forming stage. Hoping to be able to establish 
the life history of this remarkable new carnivore I prepared a 
thread and feeding reservoir for the night ; but the night watch- 
man closed the crack at my window, the room became over- 
heated, and the slide dried up. I have not been so fortunate 
as to find another specimen. 
The species wdiich most nearly approaches this form is Meta- 
c hie la mysticina Elir. as figured by Butschli (Plates 7 and 8). 
Me lac in eta mysticina, however, has a stalk with the lorica open- 
ing at the top like a long stemmed vase. Careful focusing upon 
this specimen did not bring out either aperture or trace of a 
broken stalk. It does not seem at all likely that they can be 
the same. 
Department of Zoololgy, 
Coe College 
