HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



267 



for a few minutes it is taken out, dried by resting on 

 blotting paper and slit, by means of a pair of small 

 scissors, along the left side for its whole length, then 

 skinned and the skin cut into three pieces, one to 

 show the back, another the right side, and a third 

 the sole. These pieces are placed on a cardboard 

 and varnished over. I prefer white shellac varnish, 

 to which a little corrosive sublimate may be ad- 

 vantageously added. 



In conclusion, I would draw the attention of the 

 workers on the slugs to the fact, that there is in- 

 exhaustible work yet to be clone as regards their 

 anatomy, physiology, and development. What 

 names could I not recall who knew this? Poli, 

 Cuvier, Savigny, De Lamarck, Tilesius, La Sueur, 

 Meckel, Fischer, Say, Rafinesque, De Blainville, and 

 a host of others come rushing into my memory, down 

 to our own hard-working Ray Lankester, still with 

 us, to tell me that famous work has been done, and 

 that there is still more to do. We must not be 

 thinking that in distribution alone — though I would 

 not disparage this in a good many senses — lies every 

 whit and tittle of the work of the naturalist, some- 

 what after the fashion of "the music of the moon 

 in the plain eggs of the nightingale." 



" Let no man say from what taggs and jaggs hints 

 may not be cut out for the advancement of human 

 knowledge ! " spake truthfully Lawrence Sterne. 

 There is lore enough in this one sentence for any 

 naturalist. The imperative moral — Record ! 



NOTES ON THE ROTIFER A 



{NOTHOLCA SCAPHA). 



By J. E. Lord, Rawtenstall. 



IN a recent paper in Science-Gossip, on a pro- 

 lific pond, I gave a list of thirty-eight species 

 of Rotifera, since brought up to fifty-four, and among 

 these, I have no doubt but that experienced micro- 

 scopists, those at least who have paid some attention 

 to this interesting class of animals, would note the 

 name of one, which has hitherto been considered as 

 being exclusively marine. Nolholca scapha belongs 

 to a genus which Mr. Gosse has separated from 

 Anurcea, because the lorica has no posterior spines ; 

 is marked longitudinally with alternate ridges and 

 furrows, instead of being tesselated ; and the expelled 

 egg is not usually carried. Of the four species re- 

 corded in their recent work, two are marine ; and of 

 four newer species which Mr. Gosse has described 

 and figured in the December number of the "Journal 

 of the Royal Microscopical Society," three are marine. 

 This being so, I have thought that the capture of this 

 form in fresh water, was worthy of a special note. 

 My first specimen was glimpsed while examining the 

 gelatinous matter frequently found adhering to the 

 shells of water-snails (Limnea), and which is, I 

 presume, secreted by the mollusk. This mucus is a 



favourite resort of many species of the Rotifera, 

 either on its own account, or for the sake of the 

 desmids and other minute alga;, which are embedded 

 in the gelatinous matrix. I at once saw it was new 

 to me, and a little examination showed it to belong 

 to the genus Notholca, but whether it was N. tkallasia 

 or N. scapha, I long remained in doubt, owing to the 

 latter being figured and described as having a lorica 

 as broad as long. In my specimens the lorica was a 

 long oval, owing to its sides being decurved, and the 



\ ,\\\\ Ml) miii 





Fig. 140. — Notholca scapha 

 (when swimming). 



141. — Notholca scapha 

 (lateral aspect). 



Fig. 142. — Notholca scapha (dead specimen). 



longitudinal ridges and furrows were inconspicuous. 

 In all other respects the characters were normal. 

 There were the six anterior spines; the single 

 cervical eye ; the rather large mastax with its malleate 

 jaws, and two small salivary glands ; the water- 

 vascular canals, and small round contracting vesicle. 

 Referring to the illustrations, Fig. 140 represents the 

 dorsal aspect when swimming ; Fig. 141, the lateral 

 aspect ; and Fig. 142, a dead specimen, showing full 

 breadth of the lorica, which, owing, I presume, to 

 the relaxation of the muscles, has become flattened 

 out. It is a charming Rotifer, and as Mr. Gosse 



N 2 



