Colepina.'] THE IXFUSORIA, 289 



Family XVI —COLEPINA. 



The animalcules of this small family are loricated, and pos- 

 sess apolygastric alimentary canal, whose orifices are placed 

 at the opposite extremities of the body. The lorica is in the 

 form of a small cask, composed either of minute plates, 

 placed in a row, or of little rings, between which cilii are 

 situated. Anteriorly the lorica is truncated, smooth, or 

 toothed, the mouth ciliated posteriorly, the shell terminates 

 in from three to five little points. The digestive cells in 

 these creatures are readily filled with coloured food, and 

 its remains ejected posteriorly. The ova granules are 

 coloured in C. viridis; in the other species they are colour- 

 less; complete transverse self-division has been observed 

 in one species. 



Genus CIX. Coleps. The little box Animalcules. — This 

 being the only genus, its characteristics are identical with 

 those of its family. 



452. CoLEPS hirtus {Cercaria hirta, M.) The hairy 

 Coleps. — This brisk little creature has an oval white body. 

 Its lorica is composed of small plates, and between them, 

 both transversely and longitudinally, are rows of cilii. 

 The tablets terminate anteriorly in nineteen pointed pro- 

 cesses, and posteriorly in three, as shewn in the engraving, 

 Jig. 284. The mouth is furnished with cilii, as seen in 

 Jigure 285 ; figure 286 is an end view of the lorica. 



In my work on Animalcules, I have stated the difficulty 

 there was in examining it, from its restless habits; and 

 Ehrenberg makes a similar statement, and says, in swim- 

 ming it is difficult to perceive its lorica, but when dried, or 



u 



