Maskell. — On Freshwater Infusoria. '.' 



mouth. The process, which is apparently similar in the Euro- 

 pean species, resembles that of a snake, the canal being distended 

 gradually as the food passes down it. The deglutition of Uro- 

 centrum on the occasion observed occupied about ten seconds. 



Genus Amphileptus. 



AmphUeptus irregularis, sp. nov. Plate I., fig. 12. 



Animalcules free-swimming, elastic ; colour whitish ; body 

 elongate, tapering posteriorly to a point and produced anteriorly 

 in a very slender recurved neck about two-thirds as long as the 

 body ; margins irregular and rough. Oral aperture situated in 

 a conspicuous depression at the base of the neck-region. Cuticle 

 finely ciliated throughout. Contractile vesicles numerous along 

 one edge ; nucleus globular, close to the posterior extremity. 

 Surface granular, with many ingested food-particles. 



Average length, T i^ inch = 166 p ; length of neck-region 

 about ^Jo inch = 62 p.. 



Wellington, Hutt Valley, Otaki, W. M. Maskell. 



This might be put into a group with A. gigas, Clap, and 

 Lachm. ; but it is much smaller and rougher, and the neck- 

 region is different. 



Amphileptus rotundus, sp. nov. Plate II., fig. 13. 



Animalcules free- swimming ; colour whitish, tinged with 

 brown ; many dark ingested food-particles. Cuticle finely cili- 

 ated throughout. Body elliptical, slightly pointed posteriorly, 

 produced anteriorly in a very short, thick, curved neck ; surface 

 exhibiting many granules except on the neck-region. Oral 

 aperture situated near to but not exactly at the base of the 

 neck, followed by a simple, tubular pharynx. Contractile 

 vesicles numerous. Endoplast elongate, sub-central. 



Length, exclusive of the neck, ^ T) inch = 100 p ; length of 

 neck, gi-Q inch = 27 p. 



Lyall Bay, W. F. Barraud. 



Near to A. vorax, Ehrenb., but differs in the position of the 

 oral aperture and the form of the nucleus. It is also only half 

 as large. The number of contractile vesicles could not be 

 accurately determined, owing to the quantity of dark food- 

 particles in all the specimens examined. 



Amphileptus tracheloides, sp. nov. Plate II., fig. 14, a, b. 



Animalcules free-swimming, plastic but persistent in form ; 

 colour white, with a great number of large black particles all 

 over the body (food ?) ; cuticle finely ciliate throughout. Body 

 regularly elliptical under one aspect ; pyriform under another, 

 and tapering anteriorly, but not produced into a distinct neck- 

 region. Oral aperture situated near the anterior edge, apparently 

 followed by a conical simple pharynx. Contractile vesicle large, 



