Feb. 1, 1870.] 



HAEDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



33 



ERESH-WATER VALVED VAGINICOLA. 



I HAVE recently observed a Vaginicola which is 

 new to me, and which I do not remember to 

 have seen anywhere described or figured. Its dis- 

 tinguishing characteristic is the possession of a 

 valve, somewhat similar in shape and structure to, 

 but apparently much more delicate than, that in 

 Vaginicola valvata, figured in Plate 28 of the 4th 

 edition of Pritchard's " Infusoria." 



The only valved Vaginicola; with which I have 

 been previously acquainted are V. valvata, which is 

 a marine species, and in which, according to the 

 figure before referred to, the lorica is cylindrical, 



differs materially from the species I have recently 

 observed, in which the lorica is urceolate or vase- 

 shaped, hyaline, and terminating at the foot nearly 

 in a point. The valve, which is very delicate, and 

 in some instances requires careful illumination in 

 order to distinguish it, is attached to the side of the 

 lorica about one third of its length from the top, and 

 moves freely on its point of attachment, moving up 

 on the protrusion of the animal, and immediately 

 closing again on its withdrawing itself, which it 

 does very rapidly on being alarmed, as for instance, 

 by a tap on the glass trough or stage. The body, 

 when expanded, is about ^ inch in length and 

 gradually tapers from the head, which is crowned 



Fig. 47. Vaginicola. a, extended ; 



b, withdrawn. 



Fig. 48. Vaginicola, after fission. 



with a flat base ; and Vaginicola valvata, figured and 

 described under that name by Mr. Slack in vol. ix. 

 of the Intellectual Observer, p. 205. In this species 

 the lorica is irregular but approximately cylindrical, 

 and the valve has a peculiar structure, being bent 

 back upon itself when the animal is protruded, and 

 closing by its own elasticity on the animal retract- 

 ing itself: see fig. 49, which is a copy of Mr. Slack's 

 diagram representing this structure, A closing on P> 

 when the animal protrudes. 



This, the only fresh-water valved Vaginicola which, 

 so far as I am aware, has hitherto been described, 



with cilia, to the oot ; when retracted, it is pear- 

 shaped, a slight tuft of cilia being generally apparent 

 at the broader end. 



Several well-marked vacuoles are observable, and 

 in all the specimens I have examined the body is 

 nearly filled with green granules. There are often 

 two animals inhabiting the same lorica, the result 

 of longitudinal fission. Fig. 47« shows the animal 

 extended; fig. ¥lb the same withdrawn, in each case 

 the letter v pointing out the valve : figs. 48« and 485 

 represent the same specimen about seventeen hours 

 after the preceding figures were drawn, the animal 



