THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 85 



species is often met with in quantities, and it is now evident that 

 more than two or three specimens should be examined before 

 concluding that only one species is present. Happening to take 

 home a. few colonies, examination revealed that two species were 

 present. L. nutans undoubtedly, and a form on a cursory 

 examination resembling it sufficiently to suggest the hypothesis 

 of its being a stage in the development of L. natans ; but 

 careful examination brought out decided points of difference. 



L. elliptica, as I name it is in free-swimming colonies of ellip- 

 tical form, each colony possessing a distinct and substantial axis, 

 to which the individuals are attached. When a colony is broken 

 into two portions by the axis parting, as happened in mounting 

 some of the specimens, the animals, being so closely packed, 

 spread out and over the broken end, and the cluster then appears 

 a smaller but complete colony as before. Possibly the colonies 

 multiply in this way, the axis increasing in length until separation 

 between two portions of it is effected. Surgeon Thorpe, 

 R.N., F.R.M.S., describes and names Lacinularia racemovata 

 ("J. R. M. S.," 1893, p. 150), agreeing in the form of the 

 cluster with L. elliptica, but differing in the features of the 

 individuals. The axis or trunk of the colony is as thick as 

 the body of an individual Rotifer, and when the animals are 

 detached shows distinct scars at the points of attachment, in this 

 particular resembling L. ■pedunculata, described by me in the 

 Victorian Naturalist, vol. xiii. (1896), p. 22. 



L. ellij)tica would be well simulated if the peduncle of a 

 young colony of L. peduncvlata was cut, and the colony set free. 

 The new form has surrounding the axis a matrix of adhering 

 gelatinous tubes, very transparent and easily overlooked. The 

 body of an individual is of the usual elongated form, the corona 

 being circular, and its plane is placed at an angle with the lateral 

 plane of the body ; but when living the corona is thrown back 

 so as to bring the mouth to the front, and the corona is then 

 brought parallel with the length of the body. A dorsal gap in 

 the ciliary wreaths could not be detected. Two minute antennas 

 are seen when the ventral aspect is viewed, placed very laterally 

 and about the level of the mastax. The neck is about half the 

 width of the corona, and from it the body expands to nearly the 

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

 foot which shows no expansion at its extreme end, and appears 

 as though broken off the axis of the colony. This tapering is, 

 however, interrupted at the middle of the length by a definite 

 constriction and a slight swelling on either side of it. Two 

 eyes are present, placed below the secondary wreath, possessing 

 clear lens-like and red pigmented portions. The tropin do not 

 show any departure from the type of the genus. Of the internal 

 organs the mastax and gastric glands show no peculiarity ; the 



