Maskell. — On Freslmater Infusoria, 49 



This species is distiuguislied from E. spinosus by the great 

 number of spiny spinnerets on the dorsal surface of the female, 

 and by the cylindrical tubes of the fringe. Its colour is also 

 rather redder and lighter ; but that is not a valuable character. 

 I cannot find any clearly distinguishing marks in the males of 

 the two species. 



DESCEIPTION OF PLATE II. 

 Fig. 1. Icerya purchasi, male insect. 

 Fig. 2. „ ,, part of antenna. 



Fig. 3. „ „ extremity of abdomen, viewed from 



beneath. 

 Fig- 4. ,, ,, extremity of abdomen, side view. 



Fig. 5. Eriochiton hispidus, adult female. 

 Fig. 6. ,, ,, Antenna. 



Fig- 7. „ „ Foot. 



Fig. 8. „ „ Marginal spines and fringe of test. 



Abt. IV. — Oti the Freshwater Infusoria of the Wellinyton 



District. 



By W. M. Maskell, F.E.M.S. 



[Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, BOth June, 1886.] 



Plates III., IV., V. 



The following is the result of some investigations by the 

 Microscopical Section of the Wellington Philosophical Society, 

 Messrs. A. Brandon, jun., W. F. Barraud, C. P. Powles, T. W. 

 Kirk, and the writer. These investigations have only been 

 undertaken in the intervals of leisure afforded to men engaged 

 in the ordinary work of life : the result, therefore, can be taken 

 simply as complete as far as it goes ; that is, merely a systematic 

 list of the freshwater infusorian life here. The preparation of 

 similar lists appears to be desirable in any country, and espe- 

 cially so in New Zealand, where the fauna and flora offer still so 

 large a field for the inquiries of students of Nature. 



The want of full opportunities and ample time, hinted at 

 above, and the difficulty of arranging and working with appara- 

 tus constantly requiring attention, have prevented the members 

 of the section from properly investigating the development of 

 the animalcules herein presented as new to science. But, as 

 these have not necessitated the establishment of any new genera, 

 and as the processes of reproduction have been so fully studied 

 and described in other countries, the defect in the present case 

 is not of great importance. The phenomena of reproduction 

 by fission have, of course, been frequently noticed, but time 

 and opportunity have not been available for their continuous 

 observation. 



