OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 59 



ORDER III. PLOIMA. 



Sub-order. IL-LORICATA. 



Family. ASPLANCHNADAE. 



IV. Genus Asplanchna, Gosse. 



S P- 5- Asplanchna cinei nnatiensi s , sp. n. 

 [Plate I; Fig. 4, 5.] 



To the naked eye this beautifully transparent specimen resembles 

 a miniature sea-urchin. 



Body of female saccate, free from humps, widest caudad of the 

 middle. The eye is single, cervical. When viewed by transmitted 

 light, the eye appears to be dark brown or black. Trophi incudate, 

 not enclosed in a mastax. Rami pointed, extremity unnotchrd, un- 

 serrated. About halfway between the distal and the proximal extremity 

 of each ramus a large tooth projects entad. In the adult female the 

 trophi, when at rest, are usually lateral and situated in the cervical 

 region. In the young they are usually median. Flocculent ribbon 

 double, the iaterad portion is convoluted at its two extremities; while 

 the mesad portion is straight and bears about fifteen vibratile tags. 

 Gastric glands oval. These animals often contain several embryos 

 at the same time. The nearest ally to this species is A. brightwellii^ 

 Gosse ; from this our specimen is readily distinguished by the pointed, 

 unnotched rami 



Habitat : clear stagnant water, containing plant life. This spe- 

 cies is not widely distributed but is very abundant where it does occur. 

 Either this or a closely allied species h is been encounted in clear 

 stagnant pools that do not contain water plants. Length about 1 m.m. 



The Brachionidae and allied forms appear to form the chief food 

 of this species. I have seen individuals with the remains of two brachi- 

 oni (Brachionis urccolaris, Ehrenberg), in its stomach at the same time. 

 On another occasion I saw them gorged with the remains of Anur- 

 aea cochlearis, Gosse. 



Suborder. LORICATA. 

 Family. RATTULIDAE. 



V. Genus Mastigocerca, Gosse. 



Sp. 6. Mastigocerca raff us, Ehrenberg. 



Mastigocerca rattus, Hudson and Gosse, The Rctifera or 



Wheel-animalcules; Vol. II, p. 62; pi. XX, fig. 0. 



