BDELLOID ROTIFERA OF SOUTH AFRICA. 169 



length. It may keep on feeding for a long time, and different 

 views are obtained as it turns its head, but being so small the 

 details are not easily made out. There is no play of cilia dorsally, 

 but a great flutter round the pedicels towards the oral entrance, 

 and straight up above the corona. 



Habitat. — Ground moss, Springfield. Only seen from one 

 place, and, from the number actually seen, apparently fairly 

 abundant. 



Habrotrocha gulosa sp. no v. 

 PL 13, figs. 15-15b. 



Specific Characters. — Of fairly large size ; hyaline in colour, 

 except that the pellets are usually bright yellow or green. Ros- 

 trum stout and long. Antenna as long as one-third neck width. 

 Teeth three, fairly large. Anal segment long, with large con- 

 tractile vesicle. Foot slender and short. Spurs short cones with 

 fairly straight interspace. Corona as wide as collar, with narrow 

 sulcus. Upper lip a wedge rising from a flat curve. A seta with 

 a bulbous root on each wheel. Trunk heavily stippled. Size, 

 l/75th inch. 



This is a gluttonous animal, and in a very short time, when 

 feeding, becomes crammed with pellets. It is heavy towards 

 the end of the trunk and lumbar region, and when well fed 

 becomes very much so, and penguin-like. When it begins to 

 creep after a heavy meal, its balance is so disturbed that on 

 letting go with, the toes the lumbar region swings round, and 

 the toes catch on the right or left as the swing allows, and are 

 occasionally pulled quite up by the trunk falling right over to 

 the one side or the other. It is a laborious business on such 

 occasions for it to progress. At times it creeps fairly fast with 

 a glide. When feeding it sometimes starts off swimming at 

 tremendous speed, and may keep this up for some time. 



The inclosed discs show a bold clear outline. I could not make 

 out more than three segments in the foot. 



The corona bears strong cilia which vibrate swiftly, and often 

 make quite a haze round the wheels. The under lip is of a blunt 

 spout-like shape, and projects a fair distance. The upper lip 

 ja often hidden by the rostrum^ and is quite peculiar in shape. 



