132 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[June 1, 1866. 



SIMPLE OBJECTS.-No. XIII. 



FLOSCULARIA COBNTJTA. 



/ 



/ 



• ■ . • , / / 



Fig:. 129. 



npiIIS beautiful little creature, which is one of the 

 -*- large family of Rotatoria, may be found in 

 ponds and ditches adhering to fresh-water plants. 

 It exists in a gelatinous case, so exceedingly trans- 

 parent, that it sometimes escapes notice, but more 

 frequently its presence is shown by a number of 

 minute Algsc and other substances attached to it. 

 When the Eloscularia is searching for its food, 

 which consists of the spores of Algse, and other 

 similar vegetable substances, it stretches itself out 

 of its case, and expands its rotary organ, which 

 consists of a number of long and delicate tentacles 

 spread out in fan-like form from the lobes which sur- 

 round the mouth. In "Eloscularia cornida, these 

 lobes are five in number, and in addition to these 



there is a horn (fig. 129, a), which seems to occupy 

 the place of the sixth lobe, found in some other 

 species. 



Fig. 130. 



These tentacles do not however seem to have any 

 proper motion of their own ; their office appealing 

 to be that of forming a cup-like expansion round 

 the mouth, which may serve to guide the food into 

 it. A strong current is observable running into 

 and out of the mouth, caused no doubt by a lining 

 of very delicate cilia, the course of which is shown 

 in fig. 130, c, which represents a section of the 

 mouth between two lobes. 



" The alimentary canal" is described by Pritch- 

 ard * as " simple and conical, but it is remarkable 

 as possessing a second sesopkageal bulb or head- 

 the lower one only having jaws and teeth; two 

 pancreatic glands are present anteriorly." f 



A number of very small round granules are also 

 observable, which within the body lie freely scat- 

 tered about, but in the tail or foot are gathered into 

 lines, and pass backwards and forwards as the 

 animal moves. When it is about to expand its 

 tentacles, these granules exhibit a swarming motion 

 about the mouth. When it is disturbed the creature 

 retreats into its case, and the mouth is closed so 

 that the tentacles assume a parallel condition 

 (fig. 130, b). 



The ova are deposited at the bottom of the case 

 around the foot, and contain (as seen by trans- 

 mitted light), a dark granular mass. 



As they approach maturity they become of a 

 lighter colour, and the young may be seen moving 

 within the envelope, and having two red eye-spots 

 (fig. 130, d). Pig. 130, e, shows the animal shortly 

 after it has left the egg, having a fringe of cilia 

 round its head, and two eyes, which however disap- 

 pear as the animal grows older. 



J. S. TUTE. 



* History of Infusorial Animalcules, Art. Floscularia. 

 From the same source the teeth (fig. 130,/) are copied. 



