118 F. W. PHILLIPS OBSEEVATIONS ON EOTIFERS. 



obtained Melicerta ringens from ponds in Balls Park, Mangrove 

 Lane, and Hoddesdon. 



2. The next species, Stephanoceros Eichornii, has been deservedly 

 called the "beautiful rotifer." It lives in a hyaline sheath of 

 extreme delicacy; its "crown of glory," as Mr. Slack calls it, 

 consists of five splendid tapering tentacles, furnished all along their 

 edge with delicate tufts of long cilia. These do not exhibit the 

 regular rhythmical vibration of most rotifers, but only an occasional 

 twitching, whipping action. Found at Hoddesdon. 



3. Floscularia ornata, remarkable for the extreme length of its 

 cilia ; being well known, it needs no description. Like the 

 Stephanoceros, it needs considerable skill in ilhiminating to show 

 the cilia in their full length and beauty. Localities : Mangrove 

 Lane, Ware Meads, Hertford Heath, and Hoddesdon. 



4. CEcides crystalUnus has a simple rotatory wreath of extreme 

 beauty, and inhabits a crystalline tube, but this is soon rendered 

 opaque by the flocculent matter which adheres to its viscid surface. 

 The genus is limited to two species, but I believe it is only half 

 worked out. I hope to show you a living specimen to-night which 

 differs considerably from the illustrations given in Pritchard's 

 ' Infusoria,' and Slack's ' Marvels of Pond Life.' Pound in abund- 

 ance in Mangrove Lane pond. 



5. This is a species of Brachionus which I believe to be either 

 a variety or an undescribed species. The Brachioni are all free 

 swimmers ; they are inclosed in a hard horny lorica, armed at its 

 anterior extremity with six or eight spines, and sometimes with 

 two at the posterior extremity ; they have a great, red, square eye, 

 and a gizzard and stomach of aldermanic proportions ; they gene- 

 rally carry their eggs (from one to four in number) attached 

 posteriorly. The species in my illustration was found last June at 

 Hertford Heath, occurring in such vast numbers as to render the 

 water turbid. It most resembles B. Bakeri, but differs in the 

 arrangement of the granules, and the position and shape of the 

 spines. I do not say that these points are of sufiicient value to 

 constitute a specific difference, but nevertheless, I think them 

 worthy of notice. 



6. Pterodina patina, a relation of Brachionus. It is charac- 

 tei-ized by having a shield-shaped lorica, which being flexible can 

 be wrinkled and folded together at the will of the animal ; it is 

 very lively, and when swimming about has very much the 

 appearance of an animated soup-plate. Localities : Hertford 

 Heath and Broxbourne. 



7. Conocliilus rolvox, a magnificent object consisting of a colony 

 of rotifers aggregated together in a gelatinous sphere, which 

 revolves like the Volrox ; when the creature is alarmed, it retreats 

 within its sphere. Pritchard describes the colony as consisting of 

 from ten to forty animalcules, but I caught a specimen in August 

 at Hertford Heath which measured ^th inch in diameter and 

 contained seventy-three individuals. 



8. Asplanchna priodonta, another very handsome rotifer of large 



