1G8 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June 



than the Amccla ; his body is constructed in some degree on the 

 principle of the tube of a telescope ; he can also draw himself into 

 a ball at pleasure ; he has a mouth and jaws, which are constantly 

 at work; his eyes are distinctly visible. When fishing he attaches 

 himself by a foot or tail-like process either to the glass or to the 

 stems of aquatic plants and stretches himself out, when the 

 entrance to his mouth opens and the cilia, or hair-like appendages 

 with which his mouth is furnished, commence moving or rushing, 

 thus causing a current or small whirl-pool in the water, by means 

 of which monads and other animacules are drawn in, and amongst 

 others, our friend the Amceha falls in, so that the victor of yester- 

 day is the victim of to-day. 



Rotifers are produced from eggs, although in one species 

 {^Actinurus Neptunius) we have distinctly seen the young one in 

 the body of the parent, and not only so, but have noticed its jaws 

 going as if the creature was feeding. The red eyes of the young 

 Actinurus could also be distinctly seen. 



When swimming, the Rotifer is a very graceful creature, with 

 his crown of cilia extended, he glides across the field of view with 

 amazino; swiftness. 



We well remember when young at microscopy, the anxiety 

 experienced to possess a Rotifer; the quantities of infusions of 

 leaves of all sorts we made, including hay, straw and sage, but all 

 to no purpose. We could get lots of monads and other varieties, 

 but no rotifer. For two years this state of things went on, when 

 we were tempted to bottle some water from one of the street 

 puddles, taking some of the sediment with it. The bottle was 

 placed, uncorked, in the window, so that the full benefit of the 

 sun-light might be obtained. As soon as business was over that 

 day the bottle was produced, the animalcule cage filled, the focus 

 of the microscope adjusted, and, to our delight, the water was 

 swarming with rotifers ; and, from that day to this, we have been 

 close companions. This water was kept for nearly three years, 

 and fresh water now and then added to compensate for evaporation, 

 with a little piece of pond weed (Anacharis alsinastrum.) or 

 duck-weed (Lemna,) to keep the water sweet. Many generations 

 of Rotifers lived and died in that bottle, as their siliceous skele- 

 tons testified, the sediment being full of them. 



Temperature has very little efi"ect on Rotifera. We have had 

 a bottle of water containing these creatures frozen solid, and, on 

 thawin"- them, they were as lively as ever. We have also placed 



