126 DROPS OF WATER. 



division bears a bell. C. polypinum (Drop III. 

 fig. 3) has a bell-shaped body of a white colour, 

 and in size is equal to the Vorticella convallaria. 

 These groups are particularly beautiful, and the 

 actions very amusing to watch. Each individual 

 bell has the power of contracting slightly, and 

 drawing in its cilia, but the long stalk is only 

 common to the whole number; how they 

 agree to contract that, it is difficult to say, and 

 yet they are constantly repeating this movement, 

 and again stretching themselves out in the most 

 elegant manner. 



The genus Epistylis has a stiff, inflexible, 

 hollow stalk, which is generally branched, 

 like the last genus. E. plicatilis has a forked 

 stern, the bell-shaped body has rather a yellow 



