Order 2.—Foraminifera (Reticularia). Mostly provided with a calcareous shell, usually consisting of several chambers, and allowing the protrusion of the pseudopodia either at the periphery or only at the opening. The pseudopodia are filamentous and frequently anastomosed; there is no contractile vacuole; there are usually several nuclei. Mostly marine.
Order 3.—Heliozoa. Naked, or with a chitinous or simple radial siliceous skeleton; the pseudopodia are filamentous, and are frequently supported by firmer axes, which exhibit no tendency to anastomosis; there is a contractile vacuole; one or several nuclei. Live in fresh water.
Order 4.—Radiolaria. The body has radially-disposed filamentous pseudopodia, and the nucleus is hidden in the central capsule; there is almost always a siliceous framework, consisting of pieces arranged radially, tangentially, or lattice-like; there is no contractile vacuole, but fluid-containing hydrostatic vacuoles are present in the peripheral protoplasm. Marine.
Class II.—Mastigophora (Flagellata). Protozoa with one or several long flagella used for locomotion and for acquiring food; in stationary forms their only function is to take in food. Cytostome and contractile vacuole may be present. May be either naked or provided with protective coverings; one or more nuclei. They live either in fresh or salt water, or may be parasitic.
This class is again divided into several sub-classes and orders, of which only the Euflagellata, with the Protomonadina and Polymastigoda are of interest here.
Class III.—Sporozoa. Protozoa that only live parasitically in the cells, tissues, or organs of other animals. They ingest liquid food by osmosis; the surface of the body is covered with an ectoplasmic layer, or cuticle; they have no cilia in the adult state, but may form pseudopodia. Flagella occur, but only on the male propagating individuals. There may be one or numerous nuclei, but no contractile vacuole. Propagation by means of spores, mostly provided with sporocysts, is characteristic.
Sub-class 1.—Telosporidia. These are usually of constant form, rarely amœboid; they are uninucleate in the mature state; they live within host cells in the first stage. Spore-formation occurs at the end of the life-cycle.
Order 1.—Gregarinida. Body of a constant, usually elongate form, surrounded by a cuticle. In the early stage they lead an intracellular existence; in the mature stage they live within the intestine or body cavity of invertebrate animals, especially the Arthropoda, and, like intestinal parasites, are provided with clinging organs. Copulation usually isogamous; the spores have coats (chlamydospores) and usually contain several minute germs (sporozoites).
Order 2.—Coccidiidea. Body of uniform spherical or oval shape: they lead an intracellular life, but are not freely motile in cavities of the body. Fertilization is anisogamous; the spores have coats or shells (sporocysts), and usually contain several sporozoites. Exhibit alternation of generations.
Order 3.—Hæmosporidia. Parasites of the blood corpuscles of vertebrate animals; they exhibit amœboid movement; fertilization is anisogamous; many present alternation of generations and hosts; spores naked.