to tropical or subtropical seas. I propose to name it after Mr. Carter, Coccosphæra Carterii.

The following are the characters of the two species:

Genus COCCOSPHÆRA (Wall.).

1. Coccosphæra pelagica (Wall.).

Cell spherical, hyaline, with a distinct membranous wall. Cell-contents, a perfectly colourless glairy protoplasm. Coccoliths generally more or less elliptical, numbering from 16 to 36, arranged side by side, and, in the normal state, not overlapping. Central aperture of Coccolith single, margin of external disk finely and radially striate. Internal disk plain. Diameter of Coccosphere ranging from 5000 to 830, of an inch. Length of Coccoliths from 9000 to 1000 of an

inch.

Habitat. Free-floating, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic; and (dead) in North Atlantic muds. Always most abundant where the Globigerinæ are in greatest profusion, and the deposit of the purest kind.

2. Coccosphæra Carterii (Wall.).

Cell oblong. Long diameter about twice that of short diameter. Cell as in C. pelagica. Coccoliths varying in number from 16 to 38, more or less oblong, with two central apertures arranged lengthwise, margin finely and radially striate. Internal disk plain. Length of Coccosphere from 1000 to 800 of an inch. Length of coccolith from 5000 to Top of an inch. Habitat. Free-floating, Indian Ocean, and Mid-Atlantic. (N.B. I have not observed any intermediate form between the spherical and oblong.)

It only remains for me to add, that I have not referred in the course of the preceeding observations to the highly important researches of Sorby, Oscar Schmidt, Haeckel, Gümbel, and others, simply because my own inquiries have been directed principally towards an aspect of the subject upon which they have hardly touched at all-my object having been to sustain the accuracy of my own observations, not to question that of others.

Note on Gromia. I hasten to correct an oversight on my part, which I have at all events the satisfaction of knowing has been shared by Dr. Carpenter and other writers.

Since the publication of my paper "On Gromia as the type of Foraminiferal Structure "Annals' Feb. 1877), I have

seen it incidentally stated that "nuclei" had been observed in Gromia by Max Schultze. On turning to Dr. Carpenter's 'Introd. Study Foram.' pl. iv. fig. 13, I found, as I expected, the figure of a highly magnified view of a mass of sarcode, containing two spherical granular masses, the explanatory description being as follows:-"Nuclear bodies? [sic] imbedded in the sarcode of Gromia. After Schultze." Not having Schultze's work to refer to, it is out of my power to say whether these bodies represent true nuclei or merely sarcoblasts. But be this as it may, if the credit of the discovery of a nucleus in Gromia be due to Schultze, most cheerfully do I cede it to that distinguished observer.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVII.

Fig. 1. Coccosphæra pelagica (Wall.), with its complement of coccoliths. Fig. 2. Cell-wall of same, showing distinct membranous outline; most of the coccoliths having been thrown off.

Fig. 3. Coccosphæra Carterii (Wall.).

Fig. 4. The same in the dehiscent (?) condition.

Fig. 5. Coccolith of C. pelagica seen from external aspect; showing the radiate striation on margin of outer disk, and the central depression which constitutes the "central clear space " of Huxley. Fig. 6. Coccolith of C. Carterii; side view, showing the two central depressions and radiate marginal striæ, together with the inner disk and intermediate piece.

Fig. 7. The same, as seen from its external aspect, this being, in short, a front view of the outer disk. Here also the two button-hole-like depressions are shown.

Fig. 8. Circular coccolith of C. pelagica occasionally met with. Fig. 8 a. A specimen of a form of coccolith occasionally but rarely occurring, in which there is no central depression, but apparently an aperture close to the margin of the outer disk.

Fig. 9 D. Diagrammatic, enlarged, side view of coccolith of C. pelagica. Fig. 10 D. Diagrammatic vertical section of same, showing the central depression (a), in external disk: 8, the stem; ed, the inner disk. Fig. 11 D. Diagrammatic front view of the outer disk of same: a, the central depression, the "central clear space" of Huxley, and "nucleus of other writers; b, the innermost ring, indicating the margin of this depression; c, the ring indicating the outline of the intermediate piece, or stem uniting the two disks; d, the ring indicating the margin of the inner disk; e, the outline of the outer disk itself. Possibly these are the rings referred to in Prof. Huxley's Report of 1868, when describing the coccoliths "curious rounded bodies, to all appearance consisting of several concentric layers surrounding a minute clear centre." Fig. 12 S. This figure is copied from fig. 20, plate 16, appended to Prof. Oscar Schmidt's paper "On Coccoliths and Rhabdoliths " Annals & Mag. Nat. Hist. Nov. 1872, translated by W. S. Dallas, F.L.S. It is described in the text (p. 367) as a decided coccolith with a dorsal shield, as may be ascertained by placing it on its edge, the dark non-granular part, b, representing the granular zone, and the clear spaces in it; a, divided medullar space without central granules."

as

66

Figs. 13 H, 14 H, and 15 H. Three figures copied from the plate accompanying Professor Huxley's paper; described as "Cyatholiths from the Atlantic Mud." The central corpuscle with its clear space, a, in the centre is shown in figs. 13 and 14. The "granular zone," gz, is shown in fig. 15.

Fig. 16 represents a two-celled or chambered coccosphere-being apparently the first stage in the formation of the coccolith-covered Textularia and Rotalice which have been described by me in former papers, and of which mounted specimens are extant. Fig. 17. A coccolith of C. Carter as seen in preserved specimens, an aggregation of granules being observable around the stem between the outer and inner disks, the so-called "granular zone

of authors.

Fig. 18. Sporangium of a protophyte from Bengal, probably allied to Ankistrodesmus: a. the globular colourless and transparent sporangial cell; bbb, the kidney-shaped fronds of same. These never have a flagellum or cilia, and are not zoospores.

N.B. In figs. 5, 7, and 11 D the letters indicate the same portions of the structure.

MISCELLANEOUS.

On Anguillula intestinalis, a new Nematoid Worm, found by Dr. Normand in subjects attacked by Diarrhoea of Cochin China. By M. BAVAY.

In the post mortem examination of a man who died of diarrhoea of Cochin China, Dr. Normand found a very small worm, which he sent to me as distinct from my Anguillula stercoralis*, which, however, was associated with it in the intestine. Having subsequently met with it in four other cases, I have ascertained that it is really distinct; and I think it useful to give a description of it.

I have been unable in this Nematoid to distinguish the arrangement of the muscular bands; and although I have examined more than two hundred individuals, I have never seen any spicula; hence it is impossible at present to fix its position in the modern classifications, such as that of Schneider. I shall therefore give it provisionally the generic name of Anguillula (sensu latiori), and distinguish it by the specific name intestinalis.

Length of the adult
Average breadth

2-200 millim.
0.034 99

Thus Anguillula intestinalis, with a less average breadth than that

• See Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xviii. p. 507.

of the adult Anguillula stercoralis, is almost three times as long; its length is 65 times its breadth.

The body, a little attenuated in front, terminates rather suddenly behind in a conical tail, the point of which is very distinctly rounded and even a little widened at the extremity. With a sufficient

magnifying power, the surface appears very finely but very distinctly and regularly striated transversely throughout its whole length.

The mouth presents no corneous armature, but only three very small lips. It gives access to a nearly cylindrical œsophagus which occupies about one fourth of the length of the animal, and presents neither inflations nor striæ; this is followed by an intestine, with which it would be very easily confounded but for a sudden change of tint. This intestine extends nearly to the extremity of the body; but it almost ceases to be visible in the middle part, which is occupied by a very elongated ovary.

The vulva is situated at the posterior third of the animal; and in its vicinity the uterus contains five or six elongated ova, isolated from each other, and becoming a little confused in proportion as they are more distant from the vulva.

The anus, a transverse cleft, is situated towards the base of the tail. The ova and viscera are of a greenish yellow colour, rather opaque, and very finely granular in appearance.

All the individuals hitherto observed were ovigerous females, or they presented no sexual organs, either male or female, even though they were of considerable size. All were dead, or at least motionless; they were abundant in the duodenum, but less frequent in the jejunum, and did not reach the ileon. On one occasion they were numerous, as well as Anguillula stercoralis, in the fluids proceeding from the stomach.

In the materials in which the worm is found, fragments of it containing eggs often occur: sometimes these eggs are found isolated and recognizable by their elongated form; in some the embryo is in course of formation, and then presents a very remarkable row of dorsal cells; in others the embryo is more advanced and even makes two complete turns.

In the evacuations of three diarrhoeic patients which we kept in order to trace the development of Anguillula stercoralis, we found in a few days certain larvæ differing from those of that species. They were more elongated, with a cylindrical œsophagus descending nearly to the middle of the body, and a tail which, instead of terminating in a fine point, was, as it were, truncated at the extremity. Although the rearing of these larvæ could not be carried far enough to prove incontestably their identity with Anguillula intestinalis, we have scarcely any doubt upon this point. In fact, two of the patients who presented this form in their evacuations have since died, and their post mortem examination furnished the adult form; the third patient is still living. We have sought it in vain in a man who came from Cochin China three years ago, and in whose intestine Anguillula stercoralis was very abundant.

In all, we have met with this worm six times; and five of the patients who presented it are dead. It would perhaps be premature to deduce grave consequences from this; and the species is infinitely less abundant than Anguillula stercoralis.-Comptes Rendus, Feb. 5, 1877, p. 266.

On Filaria hæmatica. By MM. O. GALEB and P. POURQUIER.

The authors have dissected more than two hundred dogs in search of this parasite. They cite one of their observations in disproof of the verminous diathesis assumed by some writers. In a pregnant bitch the heart was stuffed with adult Filaria; and its blood showed thousands of embryos, which also occurred in the blood of the fœtus. The mother, therefore, furnishes the starting point for the migrations of the parasites, the embryos which float in the blood of the mother terminating in a slender point which enables these microscopic worms to pierce the tissues and penetrate into the placenta, from which they pass into the circulation of the fœtus.

The identity of the embryos swimming in the blood with Filaria hæmatica is proved by the dissection and microscopic examination of the adult female Filaria, which shows in the oviduct free embryos exactly like those of the blood. Hence the authors conclude that Filaria hæmatica is viviparous.

The adult parasites always reside in the right cavities of the heart or in the pulmonary artery; but their presence in this situation may always be ascertained by the examination of a small portion of the blood of the dog.

The female parasite attains a length of 30-32 centimetres (12 to 12 inches); the male is smaller and more slender, about half the length of the female. More than a hundred of these parasites may exist in the same animal. Sometimes they produce no symptoms, but in other cases cause serious disorders, such as dropsies, which kill the animals. The authors promise a detailed memoir upon this parasite. Comptes Rendus, Feb. 5, 1877, p. 271.

On the Intimate Phenomena of Fecundation.
By M. H. FOL.

The radiate structure of the vitellus has been long since described by various authors. I may cite in chronological order Derbès, who observed it very well in Echinus, Gegenbaur in Sagitta, Krohn, Leuckart, Kowalewsky, Kupffer in the Ascidia, aud, finally, Balbiani in the Araneida. The relations of this structure with cell-division, however, remained unknown, as the authors last cited continued to accept the division pure and simple of the cytoblast. M. Hubert Ludwig has just shown that in this respect the Araneida behave like the Geryonidæ.

A second step of the greatest importance has just been made in