164 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



indeed, several of them never protruded the discs at all. 

 Moreover, as the wreaths seldom afford any good specific 

 characters, attention is first directed to more useful features, 

 such as the rami, the spurs, and the antenna. Then the 

 animals have an unfortunate habit of dying on our hands, 

 which often renders us perforce content with an incomplete 

 study. 



PLATE II. 

 PHILODINA BREVIPES, . sp. 



Specific characters. Large, -^ inch extended, stout, 

 hyaline. Formula 3-3. Column broad, square ; lamellae 

 large. Antenna long, slender, always fully extended, even 

 when feeding. Foot short. Spurs rather small, straight. 

 Eyes brown, oblong, oblique. 



Habitat. Among Sphagnum^ Blantyre Moor. 



Only one example was observed. It was vigorous but 

 deliberate in its movements, and readily protruded its discs 

 to feed. No fine striae could be detected on the rami. 

 The glands around the mastax are greatly developed, but 

 are peculiar, and are not readily comparable with homologous 

 organs in a typical Bdelloid Rotifer. Dorsally, a large 

 glandular mass conceals the whole mastax. This contains 



o 



numerous small vacuoles and one very large central circular 

 cavity. Ventrally, the continuation of this mass is seen, 

 single above, but separating below into two divergent lobes, 

 which join the stomach just about where normal gastric 

 glands would be found. Lower down, opposite the anterior 

 part of the stomach, is a large pear-shaped body having a 

 spherical cavity. This organ is connected by muscles with 

 the mastax, but seems to be quite unconnected with the 

 stomach. It is enclosed in a lax membranous sheath, 

 tapering downwards to the constriction between stomach 

 and intestine. To this constricted part, or to the swelling 

 at anterior end. of intestine, it is attached. The organ 

 itself ends below in a fine point, which could only be traced 

 a short distance down the sheath. The ovaries are slightly 

 developed, and appear like narrow sacks pendant from the 

 stomach. 



