The structure of the wall of the test in the Foraminifera; its value in classification

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Abstract
The terms so widely used in the classification of the Foraminifera, “perforate” and “hyaline”, “imperforate” and “porcellaneous”, are shown to be based on characters of entirely different significance. Perforation or non-perforation of the test-wall may occur in any group, while the hyaline or porcellaneous appearance, fundamentally depending on the microstructure of the wall, is much more reliable. The structure of the test-wall as observed in polarized light is described for all the main groups of Foraminifera, and the conclusion is reached that the microstructure is a character whose importance differs somewhat in different groups. In part this may be ascribed to the actual time of appearance of the particular structure, and the degree of differentiation that has since occurred. There is little doubt, however, that the microstructure of the test is a character of taxonomic importance.

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