369 



unable to see if it had a dorsal ridge. He would, however, 

 endeavour to remount it so as to be able to turn it round. 



The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Dunlop and Mr. 

 Scourfield. 



Mr. C. F. Rousselet read a paper on the varieties of 

 Brachionus BakeH, specimens of which were exhibited under 

 microscopes in the room. 



Mr. Western thought this paper would be very useful as 

 tending to clear up the difficulties which were found in descrip- 

 tions of this genus, the varieties of which had tended greatly 

 to a confusion between different species. These variations 

 were by no means restricted to this species, but equally applied 

 to Brachionus pala, B. angularis, etc., all of which showed the 

 same kind of variety. If such drawings as Mr. Rousselet had 

 shown them could be obtained of other species they would 

 be very useful for reference in the determination of the 

 species. 



Mr. Bryce thought that a very useful mode of reference 

 might be the size of the egg, which he had found to be quite a 

 characteristic of species. 



Mr. Scourfield inquired if Mr. Rousselet had seen the males 

 of the varieties he had described ? 



Mr. Rousselet said he had not seen the males of all the 

 varieties, but he had seen some of them, and they could not be 

 distinguished from each other. 



Mr. Karop asked if Mr. Rousselet could tell him what was 

 the origin of the man's face which was shown in many of the 

 earlier illustrations of Brachionus. It was of course a comment 

 upon the qualit} 7 of the instruments used in those days for such 

 investigations, but it appeared in various authors' books, and 

 he supposed therefore it had some common origin. He saw a 

 figure in an old book by Dr. Dick of a creature which might or 

 might not have been intended for a Brachionus, but was drawn 

 with six legs, and had a most distinct representation of a man's 

 face on its body. It was said to be something found in an 

 infusion of pepper. 



Mr. Rousselet said he believed these were copied from 

 Eichhorn, who drew a figure of a water animal which had that 

 which looked like a man's face upon it. 



Mr. E. T. Newton inquired if Mr. Rousselet had observed 



Journ. Q. M. 0., Series II., No. 40. 26 



