HiLGENDORF. — On Ncio Zealand Eotifera. 107 



Art. XIV. — A Contribution to the Study of the Eotifera g/ 



Neiv Zealand. 



By F. W. HiLGENDORF, M.A. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 15th August, 1898.] 



Plates VIII.-XI. 



Taieei Beach is a small settlement on the south bank of the 

 Taieri Eiver, just at its mouth. There are- a great number of 

 small algae-covered pools scattered over the district, but I 

 found Eotifers in only four of these. One small pool of about 

 3 ft. by 4 ft. and 18 in. deep supplied thirteen out of the sixteen 

 species to be mentioned in the course of this paper, while the 

 next pool to it — about 200 yards away — was perfectly barren. 

 Most of the varieties were found to be restricted in their 

 distribution, each occurring in only one pool. The only 

 species that was found to be distributed over a number of 

 pools is that which is already noted for its cosmopolitan dis- 

 tribution — I mean Rotifer macruriis. A small Salpinidaean 

 was also widely distributed. There were also several eccentri- 

 cities in the time as well as the place of the Eotifers' appear- 

 ances. A variety that would be most common at one time 

 would totally disappear for weeks, and then would suddenly 

 reappear in as great profusion as before. These points have, 

 of course, been observed by every writer on Eotifers. Most of 

 the species were lacustrine, but one was found in the water of 

 a tidal creek, where the water was salt enough to be a habita- 

 tion of marine Gasteropods, and to deposit quite large crystals 

 of salt when it was evaporated. 



The following are the only pools examined with any 

 results, with the species found in them, the Eoman numerals 

 standing for the number of each species as described in this 

 paper : — 



1. A small pool: I., III., IV., VI., VII., VIII., IX., X., 

 XI., XII., XIII., XIV., XV. 



2. A horse-trough: II., V., IX., I. 



3. Ditch in connection with tidal creek (saline) : IX., 

 XVI., I. 



Thus sixteen species are described in this paper. Of these, 

 four are found in Britain. The other twelve are new, and 

 include representatives of two new genera. 



The system of classification followed is that proposed by 

 Ehrenberg and Dujardin, modified by Hudson and Gosse. 

 This divides the class into the four orders — Bhizota, Bdelloida, 

 Floima, and Scirtopoda. Two Ehizotes have already been 



