11 -2 THE ROTIFERA. 



Family IV. ADINETAD.E. 



Corona a flat, i^rona surface ; ciliary wreath the furred ventral surface of the 

 corona ; trophi ramate ; frontal column soldered to dorsal surface, and emling in two 

 hooks. 



The family Adinetada has been formed to receive one genus, which itself contains 

 at present only one species. It has been separated from the Philodinadce on account of 

 its lacking the usual corona of two circlets, and of its having in Ueu of it a mere furring 

 of a flattened, ventrally placed, portion of the head, which in some degree resembles 

 the face of the genus Proales. In other respects the organization is that of the Calli- 

 diiia, except that the frontal column, which is so strikhig a feature La the other Philo- 

 dinad(B, and which is tossed aside like a hood when the coronal wheels are expanded, 

 is here soldered as it were to the dorsal surface, and projects slightly beyond it, bearmg 

 two curved hooks. 



Genus ADINETA, Hudson. 

 GEN. CH. Eyes absent. 



A. VAGA, Davis. 

 (PI. X. fig. 10.) 

 Callidina vaga .... Davis, Man. Micr. J. vol. is. 1873, p. 201, pi. xiv. 



SP. CH. Body smooth, colourless, with longitudinal corruijations ; spurs short, 

 finely iwinted ; teeth t^vo. 



This species was discovered by Mr. H. Davis in 18G7, along with abundant speci- 

 mens of P. roseola, in a parcel of pink dust sent to him by the Rev. Lord S. G. Osborne, 

 and found in some open stone vases in Lord Osborne's grounds at Blandford. These 

 vases, at times, become partly filled with rain, and the wmd di-ives mto them dead 

 leaves and other matters, which by their decomposition seem to afford suitable food. 



The front of the head is somewhat like a thumb in outline, and on its dorsal surface 

 is what appears to be the trace of a column soldered to the head, projecting slightly 

 beyond it, and bearing two transverse hooks. The corona, though nothing but the flat 

 ventral surface of the head, yet shows a sort of division into two parts, owing to the 

 absence of cilia on a broad median line leading to the buccal fuimel : the rest of the 

 surface is densely furred with minute cilia. The base of the corona, just at the animal's 

 neck, rises on either side above its general plane, and forms a well-marked ridge. Jlr. 

 Davis says that each ridge is strongly serrated, and draws them with teeth pointing 

 forwards. I could see no such serrations, though the strong ciUa, that here lead to the 

 entrance of the buccal fumiel, frequently produced a fleeting appearance of serration : 

 but all my specimens were small and young, and possibly the serrations were not yet 

 developed. The pathway (if it may be so termed), through the coronal cilia, leads 

 straight to a long buccal funnel imbedded in a thick fleshy mass, and ending at the 

 mastax, each ramus of which bears two main teeth and a multitude of fine parallel 

 slriic.' When Adincta is feeding, it curves the flat corona so as to bring its two furred 

 halves opposite to each other, and at the same time draws together the transverse 

 ridges at its base. In this way a ciliated semi-cylinder is formed as a prolongation of 

 the buccal funnel, and mmute atoms may be seen rapidly streaming down the tract 

 clear of ciUa, into the funnel's entrance. The stomachs of'my specimens were all fiUed 

 with clear yellowish particles, but of what substance I could not make out. I could see 

 no salivary or gastiic glands, but the foot-glands were conspicuous. The contractile 



' Mr. Davis measured these, ami found there were from thirty to forty thousand iu the inch ; in 

 my specimens the strioe were about fifty thousand to the inch. 



