Brixham, and Plymouth. But few, so far as I am aware, have been obtained on the north coast. There is, therefore, I believe, a good field open to the diligent investigator.

The enormous quantities of the shells of these animals met with on almost every part of the sea-bottom shows at once the important part they play in the order of creation; and, as Dr. Bigsby has well said, that "the simpler organization of the Protozoa and Diatomacea, but especially their extreme fecundity, enables them to resist successfully all the agents of extinction." And this gradually carries me to their distribution in time.

It has been argued by Dr. Carpenter and others, that the indefinite-looking fossil found in the Laurentian rocks of North America belongs to the Protozoa; and now, since the discovery of the Bathybius, previously mentioned as found covering the sea-bottom of the North Atlantic, between the Faroe Islands and the north of Scotland, this appears to me to confirm Dr. Carpenter's suggestion.

One can picture in the mind's-eye the masses of Oozone Canadensis spread over the bottom of the ancient sea in a similar manner to the Bathybius of the present time. At a later period, and upon the next horizon, Professor Ehrenberg proved to his own satisfaction that the green grains that are scattered through the sandstones of the Lower Silurian rocks of Russia contain in their interior the silicious casts of Foraminiferous shells, belonging to 14 genera and 17 species; but Professor Rupert Jones is inclined to doubt the accuracy of the above conclusion. He says: "There is not one of the above determinations that can be definitely accepted: some of the grains are possibly parts of Oozone." In the white carboniferous limestone of Russia the genus Fusulina is found in great abundance, and as we ascend the series of sedimentary deposits, and get nearer to our own time, the more numerous do the species and varieties become. Lias and the Oolite each contribute their quota to the great mass; but when we arrive at the Chalk, here the great family of Foraminifera appears to have culminated; for it is to the innumerable multitudes of these organisms that we are indebted for those grand deposits of chalk which form the two white walls on each side of the British Channel.

The

Dr. Carpenter says, in speaking of the North Atlantic sea-bed, "that he is disposed to look on the cretaceous seabottom as the still existing chalk formation; and he thinks this view finds support in the fact that its basis is nearly the same as that cretaceous deposit, that certain shells are

common to both, and that Silicious sponges are extremely abundant."

In the Tertiary deposits are first seen the undoubted ancestors of the now existing forms; so that whether they be species according to the old accepted theory or not, they appear to have a fixity of distinction placed upon them which is certainly not obliterated by time.

A CATALOGUE OF THE PROTOZOA OF DEVONSHIRE.

WITH NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

BY EDWARD PARFITT.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Carter, H. J., in Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 1863, 1864.
Carpenter, Dr., The Microscope and its Revelations. 1862.

Ehrenberg, Prof., Infusoria.

Green, J. R., Manual of Protozoa.

1863.

Adams, G., Essays on the Microscope. 1798.

Planci, Jani, De Conchis Minus Notes. 1739.

Williamson, W. C., on Recent Foraminifera. 1858.

Parkinson, J., Organic Remains, vol. iii. 1811.

Jones, Parker, and Brady, Foraminifera of the Crag. 1866.

Parker, W. K., Jones, T. Rupert, Ann. Nat. Hist.

1857.

Montagu, Col., Testacea Britannica et Supp. 1803, 1808.

Carpenter, Dr., Introduction to the Study of the Foraminifera. 1862,

Bigsby, Dr. J. J., Thesaurus Siluricus. 1868.

Wallace, Dr., in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1863.

Jones, Capt., in Jour. of Linnæan Society. 1865.

PRINCEPS, Ehr.

SUB-KINGDOM.

PROTOZOA, Siebold.

Class, RHIZOPODA.

GEN., AMEBA.

t. 8, f. 10; Carpen. on the Micro., fig. 230; Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1863, vol. xii., p. 30, t. 3.

In a shallow ditch at Exwick, near the Dripping Rock; E. P. Railway ponds, Exminster marshes; Mr. Vicary. Budleigh Salterton; Mr. Carter.

VILLOSA, Wallich.

Ann. M. N. H., 1863, p. 287, t. 8.

This very distinct species I met with gliding over the mud of a horse pond, near the farm at Polsloe, near Exeter, August, 1864.

COMPRESSA, Carter.

GEN., DIFFLUGIA, Ehrt.

In Ann. M. N. H., 1864, ser. 3rd, t. 1, f. 5, 6.

Taken at Budleigh Salterton, amongst confervoid algæ, in considerable numbers; Mr. Carter.

PYRIFORMIS, Perty.

Carter in Ann., 1864, t. 1, f. 1; see also Carter in Annals M. N. H., 1862, p. 249, et seq.

In fresh water drains, Budleigh Salterton, amongst decaying leaves, &c. I met with specimens at Exwick, near Exeter, in a shallow drain amongst decaying leaves.

PROTEIFORMIS, var. Acuminata, Wallich.

Ann. Nat. Hist., 1863, t. 10, f. 13.

I met with a single specimen of this in a shallow drain near the Wet Rock, Exwick, Exeter. The specimen differs very slightly in form from that figured by Dr. Wallich; but if any reliance can be placed on form in these creatures, the one I have in view must be referred to this. The form of the testa is like the one figured by Mr. Carter, Ann. Nat., s. 3, vol. xiii., t. 1, f. 11; but this figure is without the pointed or spinous process at the larger or globular end. In my specimen it was rounded and not acute, so that it would be intermediate -between the one figured by Dr. Wallich and Mr. Carter's.

URCEOLATA, Carter.

Ann. M. N. H., 1864, t. 1, fig. 7.

In heath-bog water, Budleigh Salterton.

PELTIGERACEA, Carter.

Ann. M. N. H., 1364, t. 1, f. 12.

Found about Peltigera canina, Tavistock; Mr. Carter.

SPIRALIS, Baily.

Carter in Ann. M. N. H., t. 1, f. 9.

In fresh water drains, Budleigh Salterton.

In Ann. M. N. H., 1864, t. 1, f. 13.

In heath-bog water, Budleigh Salterton; apparently rare.

GEN., CYPHODERIA, Schlumberger.

MAGARITACEA, Schlm.

Carter in Ann. M. N. H., t. ii., f. 18.

Budleigh Salterton.

SOL, Ehr.

GEN., ACTINOPHRYS, Ehr.

Adams, t. 25, f. 65, 66; Carpen. p. 458, f. 229.

In the Exeter Canal; not uncommon amongst conferva.

Planci, t. 2, fig. 4, D.E.F.; Willm. t. 1, f. 4.

Taken at Brixham, and near the Eddystone Lighthouse; Mr. Spence Bate.

VULGARIS, Planci.

GEN., LAGENA, Walker.

t. 2, fig. 10, M.N.O.; Willm. t. 1, figs. 5–14, f. 5a, typica. Taken in Plymouth Sound by Mr. Spence Bate.

b. Var. CLAVAta, Willm.

t. 1, f. 6.

Plymouth Sound and Eddystone; Mr. Spence Bate.

C. PERLUCIDA, Willm.

t. 1, figs. 7, 8.

Taken at Brixham, Plymouth, and near the Eddystone Lighthouse; Mr. Spence Bate. Exmouth; Mr. Kane.

d. SEMISTRIA, Willm.

t. 1, f. 9.

e. STRIATA, Willm.

t. 1, f. 10.

Exmouth; Mr. Kane. Plymouth Sound and Eddystone; Mr. Spence Bate.

Taken at Exmouth; Mr. Kane. Brixham; Mr. G. Barlee.

b. LINEATA, Willm.

t. 1, f. 17.

Exmouth; Mr. Kane. Brixham, Plymouth Sound; Mr. Spence Bate.

MARGINATA, Walker.

Willm. t. 1, figs. 19-21.

Taken at Exmouth by Mr. Kane.

b. LUCIDA, Willm.

t. 1, figs. 22, 23.

Plymouth Sound and Eddystone; Mr. Spence Bate.

C. ORNATA, Willm.

t. 1, f. 24.