The Rotatorian Genus JDiaschiza. 7 



It sometimes makes a run of flocculent matter as mentioned in 

 Gosse's description of Furcularia forficula. 



It is rather an active species, feeding rapaciously on floccose 

 matter, which often gives a brilliant red or green colouring to the 

 stomach. 



The jaws have the incus short and stout, slightly swelling at 

 the fulcrum, and the manubria crutch-shaped at the end. 



Size. — Total length from ^ in. (282 fi) downwards. Toes 

 alone $Iq in. (75 /*) ; greatest width 3^ in. (72 /a) ; greatest 

 depth (from dorsum to venter) 3^ in. (85 /u,).* 



Common and generally distributed. 



The Male. — PI. I. fig. la. This sex made its appearance on 

 the 2nd May, 1901, in about a dozen examples in water from 

 Dundee, sent by Mr. J. Hood ; and again on April 29th, 1902, in 

 the Big Lake, Knowsley, Lancashire. It has the four plates, the 

 setse on the foot, the three antennae, the lateral compression, and the 

 frontal eye, just like the female. It is remarkably large for a male. 



The toes are, strange to say, decurved, sharp, and short. This 

 is the main point of external difference from the female. It is 

 without manducatory organs, and is very restless. The sperm-sac 

 is large, and fills the greater part of the body -cavity. 



This sex is, as usual, very soft and flexible, contracting and 

 elongating itself, and, in fact, contorting itself into all sorts of 

 shapes and sizes. 



The figure is drawn from a stout and well- developed specimen, 

 and the measurements made from a more elongated one. It 

 assumes its most elongated attitude when swimming. 



Size. — Total length yLg in. (233 /jl) ; toes alone t Jq in. (36 /i) ; 

 breadth about 7 ^ in. (36 /a) ; height g£ D - in. (42 fi). 



This sex is very rare. 



Diaschiza globata Gosse. 

 PL III. figs. 9 and 9a. 



Synonymy. 

 Furcularia sphwrica Gosse. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



Gosse, P. H— Twelve new Species of Eotifera. Journ. Roy. Micr/Soc, 1887, 



p. 361. 

 Twenty-four more new Species of Eotifera. Journ. Eoy. Micr. Soc, 



1887, p. 861. 

 Hudson & Gosse.— The Eotifera. London, 1889, Suppl. p. 37, pi. 31, fig. 30. 

 The Eotifera. London, 1889, Suppl. p. 26, pi. 31, fig. 16. 



Spec. Char. — Body short and stout, snbpiriform ; head slightly 

 narrower than the body ; face not prone ; neck only slightly 



* Cf. note on our system of recording maximum size, p. 4. 



