Some African Rotifers. By J. Murray. 15 



is papillose all over the trunk, but this character is discounted by 

 Mr. Bryce, who says he knows crenatd with the papilla reduced, or 

 replaced by stippling. It has rounded bosses on the preanal, cor- 

 responding to the tails of appendiculata. I am decided in separat- 

 ing H. appendiculata as a distinct species by its greater relative 

 breadth, lack of foot-boss on the first segment, and longer spurs. 

 The teetli of IT. erenata appear to be more definite, not diminishing 

 to such fine striae 



Kikuyu ; several examples. 



Habrotrocha brochlehursti sp. n. Plate I. figs. oa-5d. 



Specific Characters. — Small, very slender when extended; rostrum 

 narrow, lamellae small ; disks slightly separated ; upper lip trian- 

 gular ; collar inconspicuous, a large rounded process at each side 

 of the mouth ; antennae very short ; teeth 2/2 ; rump pyriform, 

 preanal much larger than anal ; foot short, of three segments, the 

 first longest ; spurs short, divergent, acuminate, sub-obtuse, with 

 no interspace. 



General Description. — Length, up to 400 fju in fullest extension, 

 by no more than 36 /u, in greatest width. When feeding, the body 

 is shortened and the central trunk enlarged, when it may be 75 fj, 

 or more in diameter ; corona 36 /x, cheeks 30 jx, neck 25 fi, across 

 spurs 15 /x. 



When extended, the four segments of the central trunk can be 

 clearly seen, and are of equal length. The 4th central segment 

 is then the narrowest part of the trunk, and is less than the pre- 

 anal. The disproportion of the preanal and anal is unusual. The 

 anal is a very short segment. The first foot-segment is relatively 

 long, and the second very short. 



There are only a few pellet-makers which have the dental 

 formula 2/2. It is so usual for the species to have more than two 

 teeth, that those with only two seem out of place in the group. 

 Species having two teeth are Habrotrocha angusticollis, H. aspera, 

 H. tripus, H. ampidla, Ceratotrocha cornigera (.3). C. comigera is 

 placed in another genus, on account of its finger-like feelers ; H. 

 aspera is papillose ; H. ampulla has an elongate head and long 

 antenna? ; H. tripus is distinguished by its tripod-like foot and 

 large toes. H. angusticollis alone is near enough to require com- 

 parison. It is not so slender, but that is not a sufficiently de- 

 finite character ; it has a longer antenna ; the lobes at the side of 

 the head are not (as in this species) on the margin of the mouth ; 

 the gullet is longer ; the lower lip is very prominent. H. brochle- 

 hursti is not known to secrete a case. 



When fully extended it is so slender that it looks very much 

 like a Nematode worm. 



Several examples seen. 



