GONIUM. 93 



When swimming gently in the water, they occa- 







sionally turn on the edge, when it will be clearly 

 seen that the individuals are arranged on a plane. 

 This structure is highly wonderful, and is a proof 

 of the extraordinary variety displayed in the works 

 of nature. The species I have described, G.pecto- 

 rale (Drop II. fig. 5), is found in clear water both 

 salt and fresh : it is abundant in some waters 

 both in spring and autumn ; in water procured 

 in October I have seen them swarm in great num- 

 bers, and of all sizes. It is a beautiful sight to 

 watch the quick movement of perhaps a dozen 

 specimens at once in the field of the microscope. 

 There are four other species differing slightly 

 from the above, but one, G. glamum, has as 

 many as sixty-four animalcules within its lorica. 



