BDELLOID ROTIFERA OF SOUTH AFRICA. 65 



Philodina grandis is found in enormous numbers, occasionally, 

 in isolated small pieces of moss. When there happened to be 

 many on a slide, it was generally found that after a time they 

 managed to congregate together in groups, as if fond of company. 

 I have had as many as two dozen in view at once under the one- 

 inch objective. They were lying stretched over and all about 

 each other, some on moss with their heads down, others below 

 with their heads stretching out, and nearly all feeding at 

 the same time. Their coronae, all unfurled, swaying here and 

 there, formed in the artificial light a most entrancing sight, flash- 

 ing golden yellow amidst the green moss, and setting particles 

 floating about in a perfect whirlpool. They seemed to take no 

 notice when struck by a fellow Philodine, but decidedly objected 

 to the impact of a swirling piece of moss. 



Habitat. — Ground and rock moss. Uitenhage (Euphorbia 

 Kloof), Grahamstown and Somerset East. Widespread and very 

 numerous in isolated fragments of moss. 



Philodina childi sp. nov. 

 PL 3, figs. 4-46. 



Specific Characters. — A very large and remarkably bulky 

 Philodina ; trunk of a dark brownish appearance. Rostrum 

 stout. Antenna rather less than half the width of the neck. 

 Trunk quadrate. Foot short and narrow — of five segments. 

 First segment has two spurs set near each other. Toes four, 

 short. Corona very large. Jaws large, teeth J 2 J. Very 

 delicately and clearly stippled. Size l/40th inch. 



This is, I think, the largest Bdelloid I have seen. I took it, 

 for some time, for an overgrown variety of M. quadricornifera, as 

 there is a considerable resemblance in general appearance. To 

 my great surprise, however, when I observed it, after a time, 

 creeping with its foot against the cover-glass, I discovered that it 

 had four toes, and so was not a Macrotrachela after all. 



Its length and bulk are both remarkable. It has a strong, 

 thick muscular integument so that its shape retains wonderful 

 uniformity, and varies little in outline. The lumbar region and 

 posterior trunk are rather dark in colour, and almost opaque. 

 It is a slow, laborious creeper and feeds freely. The rostrum is 

 stout and has a large double lamella, each side of which has three 



JouRN. Q. M. C. Series II. — No. 78. 5 



