A Nexv Rotifer, Lacinularia striolata. 21 



from a yellowish-orange to a greenish tint. As Mr. Whitelegge 

 remarks, "a cluster might easily be mistaken for the fallen 

 flower of an Acacia." Examination under the microscope shows 

 the cluster to consist of individual rotifers occupying and pro- 

 truding from radial perforations in a gelatinous sphere (Fig. 1); 

 all the feet extending quite to the centre, where they are attached 

 to a round peduncle of deep brown colour, dense looking, some- 

 what scarred, and expanding at its base. When subjected to 

 any shock the animals retract themselves into the tubes, but 

 soon extend again. The action of the ciliary wreaths of a large 

 colony produces a very distinct current in the water, and this is 

 the more marked from the habit the animals have of so placing 

 themselves that all the individuals over a large portion of the 

 colony are operating to produce a current in the same direction. 

 In a colony of 5 mm. diameter an estimate of the number of 

 rotifers calculated from those counted in a given area of its 

 surface gave the total number for the whole sphere as 3681. 



External Characters of Adult Female. — Individuals readily 

 detach themselves from a colony when treated with cocaine, and can 

 be examined in a compressorium without difficulty. Seen in dorsal 

 aspect (Fig. 2) there is a heart shaped corona with a shallow 

 sinus at the ventral edge, and a blunt apex at the dorsal. There 

 is no dorsal gap, and there are two eyes rather more than half- 

 way down placed very close to the edge on either side. The 

 neck is moderately constricted, and the body expands to quite 

 the width of the corona and then tapers away gradually to a 

 long slender foot. A lateral view (Fig. 3) shows the disc of the 

 corona to lie obliquely, its plane being advanced at its ventral 

 edge, and making an angle of about 45° with the long axis of 

 the animal, the ventral outline is rather arched, and the dorsal 

 somewhat hollow but bends outwards about the termination 

 of the stomach, and forms a prominence in which the forward 

 pointing anus is placed. From the anus the body tapers off 

 into the long foot. The whole length is as much as 2 '6 mm., 

 and of this only about one-fifth is occupied by the alimentary 

 system, the remaining four-fifths being the foot which is 

 extremely attenuated, one measured near the termination being 

 •004 mm. across. Two minute antennae occur rather low down 

 on the neck, wide apart, but on the ventral surface. The whole 



