134 



NURSERY FOR THE MICROSCOPE. 



Fig- 95- 



PlitmateUa repens investing stem of 

 weed (magnified). 



family, this group is best 

 distributed. Neverthe- 

 less, we have several 

 British species of poly- 

 zoa, which are not un- 

 common. They are well 

 worth finding and trans- 

 ferring to the aquarium, 

 for it is impossible for 

 any other group of mi- 

 nute animals to afford 

 the same degree of plea- 

 sure, so lovely are the 

 shape and movements of 

 these creatures. They 

 are much more highly 

 organised than rotifers, 

 and consequently per- 

 form more functions. We 

 always find them at- 

 tached to the stems or 

 thread-like leaves of 

 water plants. Of our 

 British genera Lopkopus 

 and Plumatella are the 

 commonest (Figs. 94 and 

 95). In the figure of 

 the former we have the 

 of the mouth 



region 



