Rotifera of Natal. By Hon. T. Kirhman. 233 



much, but are more amenable to examination on a dull drizzling day, 

 or when the light is subdued by a yellow screen under the stage. 

 The threads from the toes are difficult to distinguish, owing to the 

 movements of the foot, but they can be seen sometimes hanging down, 

 festoon like, from the two uppermost toes when crawling. 



Ploima Illorieata. 



Syncheeta pectinata Ehrbg. — This appears to be a very rare 

 rotifer here. I have only seen it once, having obtained a number of 

 specimens in a bottle in September 1899, from a little slack water in 

 one spot in the rocky broken course of the river Equeefa, at very low 

 water, under some long grass, protected by a big boulder from the 

 running water close by. (Seven months after, in April 1900, in the 

 very same spot, I found some Scaridium eudactylotum.) It is very 

 difficult to see the thread of this creature, its movements are so rapid 

 and unceasing ; but I saw the thread easily of the young ones. I had 

 left some S. pectinata in a trough all night, and in the morning I 

 found eggs, also young ones, some just being born coming out foot 

 iirst. 



Syncheeta tremula Ehrbg. — I found this species in a pond near 

 Maritzburg in July and August, both in 1898 and 1899 ; and this 

 year, 1900, being at home during the same months, I found it in 

 quantity along the edges of the river Umzinto. I have not seen it 

 -at all during the hot season — November to February — when I find 

 most of the others. 



Polyarthra. — About the same time that Mr. Tyrrell and I found 

 Bracluonus Baker i, in September 1900, we found also in the pools 

 in the rocky bed of the Umzinto, a species of the above which seemed 

 to be P. platyptera Ehrbg., having the same serrated spines in four 

 clusters of threes, with two brushes of setae behind (after the manner 

 of S. tremula, but more distinct) of which one seta in some specimens 

 was three or four times the length of the others, and of much the 

 same form of body. Each carried as a rule a single egg. We did 

 not see any with clusters of eggs. 



Taphroeampa annulosa Gosse (?) — A few specimens of what 

 appears to be this were found by me in February 1900, in grass and 

 weels at edges of pools in the river Umzinto. I have not seen it 

 before or since. 



Notommata aurita Ehrbg. — This was picked up along with 

 some Euchlanis, along the edges in some slack water of the river 

 Umsindusi, Maritzburg, in June 1899. 



Notommata cyrtopus Gosse. — A rotifer answering to this de- 

 scription I found in March 1900, along the edges in pools of the 

 Umzinto. The eyes of this are evertile, and when visible, show a 

 ■clear lens in pink pigment, but when withdrawn, present the appear- 

 ance described by Hudson and Gosse, as being a pair of colourless 



