BRITISH 

 FRESHWATER HELIOZOA. 



INTRODUCTION. 



NOTICES of the Heliozoa first occur durino- the 



o 



second half of the eighteenth century. They are 

 vague and concern only the commonest forms, but 

 about 1840 superior microscopes enabled Ehrenberg 

 to obtain better results, and since that date many 

 eminent naturalists have made a study of them and 

 their life-histories ; in this country Carter, Archer, and 

 Wallich are the most prominent. 



In 1848 Brightwell issued a privately-printed volume 

 containing records and drawings of infusoria found 

 by him in the county of Norfolk* ; among them are 

 some Rhizopoda and Heliozoa which constitute the 

 first British records of these organisms (Text-fig. 177). 



The first British naturalist to devote much attention 

 to the freshwater Heliozoa was Archer, whose careful 

 biological observations and records, mostly of rare or 

 obscure forms, were contributed to the Dublin Micro- 

 scopical Club, and published in the ' Quarterly Journal 

 of Microscopical Science,' together with summaries 

 and discussions of papers written by contemporary 

 foreign naturalists. 



Since then British observers of this group have 

 been few, and descriptions of newly-recorded species 

 and biological investigations must be sought for 



* Brightwell, T., 'Sketch of a Fauna Infusoria for East Norfolk/ 

 Norwich, 1848. 



