528 



noticed many points of apparent complete nselessness, as, for 

 instance, the elaborate exterior ornamentation of many of the 

 tests of these tiny organisms. What could it possibly matter to 

 an amoeboid organism whether it had one or other microscopic 

 pattern on the exterior of its shell ? 



Mr. C. F. Roiisselet, F.R.M.S., read a paper on "Some 

 Rotifersy" These were Notliolcci. triarthroides Skorikow ; Cathypna 

 brachydactijla Stenroos ; aud a new species, Bracliionus spatiosus, 

 from Devil's Lake, North Dakota, U.S.A. He was strongly of 

 opinion that every description of a new Kotifer should be 

 accompanied by a good figure, because a drawing is always 

 remembered, whilst a description without a figure is usually lost 

 sight of and forgotten. Mounted specimens of the species 

 described were exhibited under microscopes. 



Mr. D. Bryce read a paper " On Three New Species of 

 Callidina." These were . Callidina nana, C. concinna and 

 C. decora. He took the opportunity of recommending attention 

 to the form of the " upper lip " as one of the most valuable 

 characters which go to make up the individuality of species of the 

 Philodinidae. The earliest mention found of this structure is by 

 Milne, who, early in 1886, referred to it as the "brow." Later 

 in the same year Zelinka named it the Upper Lip (" Oberlippe "), 

 and made use of it in his descriptions of two4pew species. The 

 upper lip is not possessed by all the Bdelloida, but only by those 

 which constitute the family Philodinidae. It is not actually a 

 part of the corona, and is only visible when the w^heel-organ is 

 displayed, and is withdrawn with it within the mouth when the 

 animal resumes its normal or creeping position. It is convenient 

 to look upon it as a subsidiary part of the corona, of which, in 

 many cases, it has become the dominant characteristic (from the 

 point of view of the student). When the ciliated discs on their 

 pedicels have been pushed forth from the widely opened mouth, 

 the upper lip becomes visible in direct dorsal view as an unciliated 

 surface of the head in front of the reserted rostrum, merging 

 gradually at either side into the "collar," the wider part 

 immediately succeeding the lateral bases of the pedicels. Mr. 

 Bryce illustrated his descriptions by blackboard diagrams of the 

 structures concerned. 



Mr. A. E. Conrady, F.R.A.S., spoke on the resolving power obtain- 

 able with dark-ground illumination. He thought the matter would 



