Clathrulina elegans, Cienkowsky, in Essex. 51
to paralyse any minute organisms that may come into con-
tact with them; the captive is sometimes drawn gradually
to the body of the Clathrulina, and absorbed ; but sometimes
remains fixed, and the ray to which it is attached becomes
thickened, and the body-contents of the prey is conveyed to
the interior of the rhizopod as it were through a tube.
"Buds" or "spores" [sarcode-bodies] are produced, which
appear to come through the holes in the capsule, and which
glide about the body and stem of the parent for some time.
These bodies then appear to make their way along the root-
fibre or other support to which the parent is attached, and
to become fixed, eventually growing into the form of the
mature Clathrulina. Having attained the age at which the
rays disappear, the body-substance within the capsule breaks
up into spherical masses or "balls," which is probably a
process of reproduction; but up to the present time I have
not observed that any change takes place in the appearance
of the spores, or that they are broken up in any way. The
number of "balls" found in each capsule in the natural
condition is eight, but in captivity the number formed is less,
in a solitary instance being one only. On Plate I. a group
of six specimens is shown, each being in the position and
condition as when first observed by me. A sketch of a young
specimen one day old, developed during my observations, is
given in fig. 7, and fig. 8 represents the same at the age of
seven days, since which it has not increased in size. Fig. 5
depicts a specimen in full vigour, and fig. 4 one still older,
with a "bud" or "spore" [sarcode-body] outside the capsule.
Pigs. 3 and 6 are optical sections showing the balls within
the capsules, and the absence of pseudopodia in that stage ;
and finally, fig. 2 is an old and possibly decayed specimen,
without rays, and apparently consisting only of the spherical
silicious capsule, the protoplasmic contents having dis-
appeared.
[Mr. Thomas has suggested our giving, as an addendum to
the above, a brief sketch of the history of the very interesting
organism he has added to our Essex microzoan fauna.
Clathrulina (so named from its beautiful latticed capsule)