Kirk. — On some Specimens of Vorticellae. 215 



Art. XLII. — On some Specimens of Vorticellae collected in the 

 neighbourhood of Wellington. By T. W. Kirk, Assistant, 

 Geological Survey Department. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society (Microscopical Section), 



15th February, 1886.] 



For some years past, whenever a Vorticella has come under my 

 notice, I have made a sketch and taken careful notes. The 

 receipt of a copy of Mr. W. Saville Kent's magnificent " Manual 

 of Infusoria " has enabled me to identify most of the species 

 observed. It should be remembered, however, that the present 

 paper is only the result of a number of disconnected observa- 

 tions, and it must be distinctly understood that I do not for a 

 moment claim to give an exhaustive list of the New Zealand 

 Vorticella; on the contrary, I believe that there are probably 

 double or treble the number of species here enumerated, and it 

 is hoped that some microscopist, with sufficient time at his dis- 

 posal to do the subject justice, may be induced to take up the 

 search for and systematic examination of these flowers of the 

 infusorian world. 



Vorticella annularis, Miiller. 



(Saville Kent, Man. Inf., p. 689, pi. xxxix., figs. 28, 29.) 



I am doubtful about the identification of this species. Speci- 

 mens agreeing with Kent's description and figure, except that 

 they were much smaller and the pedicel shorter, were obtained 

 in a stream at Karori in 1880. They were attached to the stems 

 of partially-decayed leaves. 



V. marina, Greeff. 

 (Saville Kent, Man. Inf., p. 685, pi. xxxv., figs. 1-8 ; pi. xlix., fig. 30.) 



Numerous examples are to be found at all seasons of the 

 year in the small rock-ponds which abound on the shores of Port 

 Nicholson and Cook Strait. The body is slightly more tapering 

 posteriorly, and the pedicel is longer than in Kent's description, 

 being fully seven times the length of the body. 



V. oblonga, n. s. 



Body oblong, nearly twice as long as broad, rounded nearly 

 equally at both ends, encircled by a number of interrupted lines 

 looking like puckers ; pedicel stout, four times as long as the 

 body, contracting by loops, and apparently too weak to support 

 the body for long in an erect position, as it gradually leans either 

 to one side or the other till it meets with some object, where it 

 rests for a short time and then resumes the upright attitude. A 

 large species, attached to seaweed. 



