Dinobryiua.] THE INFUSORIA. 163 



Family VII.— DINOBRYINA. 



The animalcules of this family are distinctly, or to all 

 appearances, of the polygastric description, and furnished 

 with only one aperture to the body ; hence it has no true 

 alimentary canal. They are without any appendages, but 

 possessed of a lorica or shell, and have the power at will 

 of changing their forms. In one species of the genus 

 Dinobryon a simple filiform proboscis is present ; and in 

 the same genus, a delicate red spot, at the anterior portion 

 of the body, indicates the organ of vision. The nutritive 

 apparatus is faint and undefined. The lorica is of the 

 form of a little pitcher (urceolus), at the bottom of which 

 the very contractile Euglena-like creature is attached. 

 Two genera only are known. 



Genus XXXVIII. Epipyxis. The pedestal Animalcule. 

 — The characteristics of this genus are mostly of the nega- 

 tive kind, namely, its lacking the eye and retaining the 

 body in a sitting posture. The most evident animal cha- 

 racter possessed by the species is the funnel-shaped orifice 

 at its foremost extremity. The soft or pulpy body is seated 

 within a delicate membranous (not siliceous) lorica, which 

 is usually affixed by a pedicle, or foot, to a piece of conferva. 



145. Epipyxis m^Wcm/ms. The bottle- shaped Epipyxis. — 

 Body of a conical pitcher-like form, small, and filled with 

 yellowish granules ; attached by a pedicle. Group 82 

 represents several of these creatures attached to a portion 

 of conferva. Length 1 -640th. 



Genus XXXIX. Dinobryox. — This genus is distin- 

 guished from the preceding one by the species possessing 



M 2 



