SMITH : INFUSORIA OF KANSAS. 167 



Family Euplotid^e. 



Body usually oval. Cilia greatly reduced. Frontal, ventral, and mar- 

 ginal cirri reduced in number; marginal cirri often wanting. Nucleus 

 spherical to band-like. 



Genus Euplotes (Ehr.) Stein. 



Body inflexible, persistent in form, oval in outline; flattened ventrally, 

 convex dorsally. Both ends usually rounded; anterior end occasionally 

 truncated. Peristome reaching to or beyond the middle of the body. Six 

 to eight frontal styles; a few scattered ventral styles; five anal styles; 

 usually four marginal seta?, two at the posterior end and two on the 

 posterior part of the left-hand border. Dorsal surface usually with ridges. 

 Contractile vacuole near the insertion of the anal styles. Anus posterior 

 and to the right. Macromnucleus long, band-like. 



Euplotes patella Ehr. 



Body elongated oval, usually somewhat truncated anteriorly, rounded 

 posteriorly. Peristome wide, extending to or beyond the center of the 

 body, its reflected border a simple ciliated groove. Six fi'ontal, three 

 scattered ventral, and five anal styles; four marginal seta?, the two 

 posterior often branched. Contractile vacuole beneath the insertion of 

 the two right-hand anal styles. Macronucleus long, bandlike and 

 curved. 



Found in infusions of grass, hay and leaves. 



Sizes given range from 125 to 155 microns. Length of type specimen, 

 155 microns. (Fig. 47, plate XLIV.) 



Euplotes earinata Stokes. 



Body oval, rounded at the extremities, left border obliquely truncate 

 in two directions, producing an angle. Peristome extending to about the 

 middle of the body. Dorsal surface usually grooved. Seven frontal, 

 three ventral, and five annal styles; four marginal setae. Macronucleus 

 bandlike, curved. Contractile vacuole single, located beneath the inser- 

 tion of the anal styles. 



This form has been found in abundance in infusions of leaves. 



Length of type specimen 95 microns. This is probably an abnormally 

 large individual. (Fig. 49, plate XLIV.) 



Genus Aspidisca Ehr. 



Body small, inflexible, persistent in form, oval in outline, convex 

 dorsally, flattened ventrally. Left side of body nearly straight, right 

 side convex. Right-hand margin of ventral surface thickened. Peristome 

 extending to beyond the middle of the body. Left margin of the peristome 

 often forming a cover for the anterior end. Seven or eight styles on 

 the anterior portion of the ventral surface; five to twelve on the posterior 

 portion; marginal setae lacking. Anus and contractile vacuole near the 

 insertion of the anal styles. 



Aspidisca cost at a Duj. 



Body rounded oval, dorsal surface convex, ventral surface slightly 

 flattened. Five or six longitudinal grooves present. Peristome with 

 lip-like extension or cover. Three frontal styles; four or five scattered 

 ventral styles; five anal styles. 



