Page:Scientific results HMS Challenger vol 18 part 1.djvu/231

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REPORT ON THE RADIOLARIA
23

which are much heavier than the jelly-body, and produce arm-like protuberances of it; this modified form, often of very regular and peculiar appearance, I formerly described as Myxobrachia (compare my Biolog. Studien, loc. cit., and Hertwig, loc. cit., p. 37). Compare also Myxobrachia cienkowski, Wagner, 1872, L. N. 23.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the whole jelly-sphere 5 to 8 mm., of the central capsule 1 to 1.2 mm., of its nucleus 0.3 to 0.4.

Habitat.—Canary Islands, Lanzerote; common, Haeckel; Mediterranean, Messina, Hertwig; surface.


3. Thalassophysa pelagica, Haeckel.

Thalassicolla pelagica, Haeckel, 1862, Monogr. d. Radiol., p. 247, Taf. i. Thalassicolla pelagica, R. Hertwig, 1879, Organismus d. Radiol., p. 35, Taf. iii. fig. 4.

Spherical body in the central part opaque, yellowish, in the periphery semi-transparent, spotted. Central capsule compact, yellowish-white, with a thick and compact membrane, perforated by pores, but not areolated. Diameter of the central capsule about twice that of the nucleus, one-half to one-sixth that of the jelly-envelope. Nucleus papillated, its spherical surface covered with numerous (20 to 60) conical, roundish, or finger-like protuberances, not longer than its radius (commonly only one-half or one-third as long). Enclosed in the semi-fluid substance of the nucleus are very long and thin cylindrical nucleoli snake-like, contorted, and penetrating into the protuberances of the nucleus. Protoplasm of the central capsule in the outer (cortical) zone (on the inside of the membrane) radially striped, with one layer of large oil-globules of different sizes; in the inner (medullary) zone foamy, with numerous small spherical vacuoles, mostly of equal size. Extracapsular jelly-body without dark pigment, contains between its alveoles a large number of large roundish or amœboid lumps of protoplasm, and very numerous yellow cells or xanthellæ (compare the detailed description in my Monograph, and in R. Hertwig's work).

Dimensions.—Diameter of the whole jelly-sphere 1 to 4 mm., of the central capsule 0.5 to 0.6, of the nucleus 0.2 to 0.3.

Habitat.—Mediterranean—Messina, Corfu, Nizza, Genoa, Haeckel; Messina, R. Hertwig; surface.


Family II. Collozoida, Haeckel, 1862 (Pl. 3).

Collozoida, Haeckel, 1862, Monogr. d. Radiol., p. 522.

Definition.Colloidea socialia.

The family Collozoida comprises all associated or colony-building Radiolaria without skeleton. We unite here all these skeletonless Radiolarian colonies into one single genus Collozoum, constituted (1862) in my Monograph (p. 522). The oldest known form of it was the Collozoum inerme, described firstly by Johannes Müller (1856) as Sphærozoum inerme. Two other species of the genus were figured (1862) in my Monograph (p. 522, Tafn. xxxii., xxxv.). A most accurate description of its histological structure and