120 THE KOTIFEEA. 



same opening. A norve-tliread passes from eacli rocket-head to a nervous ganglion in 

 the head, on which is seated a bluish-purple eye-spot ' bearing a refractive body, shaped 

 somewhat like a truncated cone. 



The great mastax is a pear-shaped body placed so close to the buccal orifice that 

 tliere is no room for a buccal funnel. The forcipate trophi are driven snapping through 

 the buccal orifice by the great striated muscles shown in fig. 3. A V-shaped one 

 embraces the end of the fulcrum, and one on each side acts on each malleus. Tlie 

 oesophagus closely resembles that of AsplaticJmu, and like that is often used as a supple- 

 mentary stomach. Indeed, I have seen it so full that, for a moment, I did not recognize 

 Synchata, and thought that I had found a new Eotiferon. The gastric glands are 

 small and round ; the foot glands obvious. The stomach is usually yellow, but sometimes 

 brown ; more rarely, pink. It is round, with thick walls formed of very large cells. 

 Sometimes these are studded aU over with oil-globules, as in fig. 3. The lateral canals 

 with their vibralile tags can be plainly seen in the lower lialf of the trunk, but do 

 not appear to run up to the head m the usual fashion. There is a small round contrac- 

 tile vesicle just above the foot. The longitudinal and transverse muscles, as well as 

 those that work tlio auricles, can be seen in fig. 3, and need no further description. 



The male is as yet unknown. 



length, 7'j inch. Habitat. Clear ponds and reservoirs : common. 



Synch.'eta liALTicA, Ehrenberg, 

 (PI. XIII. fig. 1.) 



Synchata haltica Ehrenberg, Die Infus. p. 437, Taf. liii. fig. 5. 



„ „ Gosse, Tenby, p. 274, pi. xiv. 



[SP. CII. Body cylindric, hecomimj conical behhid, or bell-shajyed : gibbous 

 dorsally; rotatory clusters /o?(r; styles /o?»-; cvest single, sessile. Lunmw%is. Marine. 



The form is usually that of a bell, or a long cone, viewed dorsally ; but much arched, 

 viewed laterally. The auricular lobes are very small : two equidistant seta; radiate from 

 the occiput. There are two ciliated eminences besides the auricles, and a medial crest, 

 smooth-edged. The fr-ont is rather wider than the body, whose hinder part tapers to a 

 wfll-jointed foot, and two very minixte conical toes. Conspicuous pear-shaped mucus- 

 glands from tliese run up tlirough the foot. 



A large red eye is seated at the end of a cylindrical brain-tac : below which is the 

 vast mastax of normal structure. We see, now and then, a momentary snatching 

 action with this organ, of which I have not been able to define the actual seat. A 

 sudden trembling also occasionally passes through the whole fore parts. A long 

 cBsophagus leads to a small sacculate yellow stomach, on which are seated ample gastric 

 glands. A small intestine opens into tlie cloaca, above which projects a wart, which is 

 a true tail. A band-like ovary, of horseshoe form, the ends forward, lies in the lower 

 belly; and behind this a small contractile bladder, whose period is 2\ times a minute. 

 The muscular system is very distinct: a cord from the frontal region is inserted in the 

 skin of the back, thrown into sigmoid curves during contraction ; other cords proceed 

 from the hind-head to various points near the middle of the trunk ; one (pair ?) proceeds 

 from the mid-back to the side ; five or six bands run transversely across the back. There 

 are, moreover, long diagonal bands down the sides. 



The brilliant translucency of this animal makes it a very charming object, parlicu- 

 liu-ly when well illuminated on a dark ground, wlien the eye shines out like a ruby, and 

 llie whole body resembles a sparkling diamond. Its movements are vivacious and 

 elegant. It shoots rapidly along, or circles about in giddy dance, in company with its 

 fellows, sometimes near the surface, sometimes just over the bottom of its prison. Occa- 

 sionally the foot and tiny toes are di-awn up into the l)ody, and then suddenly thrust 

 down, and bent up from side to side, as a dog wags his tail. Sometimes the two ear- 

 ' Crimson by lamplight and dark-field illumination. 



