FLOSCULARIAD-E. 63 



counted ' in one tube. This beautiful Rotiferon is by no means shy, but often attaches 

 itself in closely-packed clusters, of a dozen or more, to the stems or ends of the leaves 

 of water-plants. 



Length. Average about /. inch ; but Mr. Hood has found in the Scotch lochs speci- 

 mens no less than ,'y inch long. Habitat. Clear ponds and lakes : common. 



F. LONGICAUDATA, IliulsOU. 



(PI. I. fig. 4.) 

 Flosctilaria longicatulata . . Hudson, /. Roy. Mia: Soc. 2 Ser. vol. iii. 1883, p. ICo, pi. iv. fig. 2. 



SP. CH. Lohesfive, ratJier jJointcd, without knobs, the dorsal lobe the laiycst, the 

 two ventral ones next in size, and the two lateral ones much tlie smallest ; peduncle very 

 long; setse as in F. campanulata. 



This Floscule resembles both F. campanulata and F. ambigua but is distinguished 

 from them by its pointed lobes, very long peduncle, and comparative smallness of its 

 body. The lateral lobes vary in size in different specimens, and even in the same animal 

 at different times, and are occasionally as minute as they always are in F. ambigua. 

 The peduncle (pd) is often Jrd of the length of the extended foot, while in other Flos- 

 cules it varies from -x^i\\ to Ts-'gtli of that length. It is a thin, transparent, non-retractile 

 thread, and is generally thrown into graceful curves and coils. The tubes of all the 

 sisecimens which I have seen were remarkably compact and symmetrical. 



This is a social Eotiferon, and is to be found sometimes in clusters of a dozen or 

 more, of various ages and sizes. It selects exposed situations, perching itself on the 

 edge or point of a leaf, and preferring the convex side to the concave. It is a great 

 feeder, swallowing small live Infusoria greedily ; and, though not so hardy as /''. anibiyua, 

 yet it will bear being kept in a trough for a fortnight. 



F. lonijicaudata was first discovered by Mr. J. Hood in 1881, on a leaf of Spliaqniun 

 m a pool on Tent's Muir ; and again in Loch Piea, Blairgowrie, in July and August of the 

 same year. 



Length. From .}^ to 3'^ inch. Habitat. Lochs and marsh pools ; Forfar, Fife, Perth 

 (.J.H.) : rare. 



F. AMBIGUA, Hudson. 



(PI. I. fig. 2.) 



Floscularia ambigua . . Hudson, /. Boy. Micr. Soc. 2 Ser. vol. iii. 1883, p. 103, pi. iv. fig. 1. 



SP. CH. Lobes apparenthj three ; viz. one large broad dorsal lobe, and two much 

 smaller ventral ones ; a pair of minute lateral lobes lie between the dorsal and ventral 

 lobes ; setae, as in F., campanulata. 



This broad stumpy Rotiferon connects the five-lobed with the three-lobed Floscules ; 

 for though, at first sight, it seems to have but three lobes, there is also a minute lateral 

 pair. These lateral lobes are frequently reduced to mere thickenings of the rim of the cup, 

 but can always be detected by the sets radiating from them. From some points of view 

 F. ambigua closely resembles F. campanulata ; and, indeed, I think that Dr. Moxon (PI. 

 U. fig. 3 ) may have mistaken the one for the other. 



From the body up to the dorsal lobe, as in F. Hoodii, run two ridges of semi-trans- 

 parent tissue, which look like buttresses to the coronal cup ; and form, with it and the 

 dorsal surface, a deep hollow, at the bottom of which lies the neck. 



The animal has a habit of so contracting itself as to throw its cuticle into deep folds, 

 especially at the neck, and at the base of the body. There often appears also to be a 



' By Jlr. W. Dingwall, of Dundee, 



