48 BRITISH ENTOMOSTRACA. 



and softness of its movements, its silvery transparency, 

 or its brilliant colours, its large black eyes, the small 

 spot which it carries on its head, the crown of the male, 

 are a beautiful sight, which the most indifferent observer 

 cannot see without pleasure." It is certainly the most 

 beautiful and elegant of all the Entomostraca. The male 

 is especially beautiful. The uninterrupted undulatory, 

 wavy motion of its graceful branchial feet, slightly tinged 

 as they are with a light reddish hue, the brilliant mixture 

 of transparent bluish green and bright red of its pre- 

 hensile antennae, and its bright red tail, with the beautifully 

 plumose setae springing from it, render it really ex- 

 ceedingly attractive to the view. 



The undulatory motion of its branchial feet serves another 

 purpose in addition to that of keeping the animal suspended 

 in the water. The thorax or body of the animal has been 

 described, when floating on its back, as like the cavity of 

 a little boat, the feet representing the oars. When these 

 are in motion, they cause the water contained in this boat- 

 like cavity to be compressed, and to mount up as along a 

 canal, carrying in the current the particles destined for its 

 food towards the mouth. It seems to be constantly, when 

 in this position, employed in swallowing and digesting its 

 food, its masticatory organs being in perpetual motion. 



Shaw imagined this little creature to be a fierce and 

 voracious beast of prey, but it is not so ; he was misled 

 in so thinking, by not understanding the true use of 

 its prehensile antennae. These he imagined were organs 

 for seizing its victims and crushing them to death ; 

 though he candidly admits that he never saw them attack 

 other animals, and even says that he has seen then) 

 succumb to the assaults of the Cypris. According to 

 Prevost, they live upon dead animal or vegetable matter; 

 but they have apparently little taste, for they swallow 

 every sort of thing that comes in their way, however 

 hurtful it may be. SchcefFer says that he found great 

 difficulty in keeping the Branchipus alive after having 

 been taken out of the water in which tliev were found, and 



