NOTOMMATAD 8. 31 
’ 
‘“‘tag.’? From each toe runs up a thread, which in the foot dilates into an ovate gland, 
studded with minute vacuoles. Probably these are mucous glands: but no mucus- 
strings were visible from the foot, nor any gelatinous envelope of the body, in all the 
specimens (nearly a score) that I have examined. The brush of each occipital tentacle 
(antenna) consists apparently of three, or at most four, sets ; each lumbar tentacle 
carries but a single seta. Through all, lines are seen running down from the set to 
the base. From the base of each lumbar tentacle the thread which descends from the 
seta is distinctly seen to pass for some distance up the visceral cavity toward the brain, 
till it can be no longer distinguished among the multitude of lines. On the other 
hand, the thread issuing from the base of each antenna may be traced to the very 
summit of the brain. 
This is, perhaps, the largest of all known Rotifera. Some among the Rhizota may 
exceed it in length, a great part of which is occupied by the foot of almost linear tenuity. 
But, bulk for bulk, Copews spicatus far exceeds them all. It is a noble, as well asa 
very interesting, member of its class. Viewed on the stage of the microscope, we forget 
that we are contemplating a speck, such as a lady’s eambric needle might prick ina sheet 
of paper, and are struck with what we are ready to call its gigantic dimensions. For, 
with a half-inch objective, it almost crosses the round field of view, and with a quarter, 
such as is needful to interpret the organization of the Rotifera, we are obliged to 
examine it piecemeal ; for a large portion of the creature is necessarily beyond our vision. 
Its great size, slow movement, and brilliant transparency make it a subject very favour- 
able for observation. Perhaps this is the finest addition made to our knowledge of the 
Rotifera since Ehrenberg’s magnum opus. And we owe our acquaintance with it to Dr. 
Hudson, who named, described, and figured it in the ‘‘ Journ. Roy. Micr. Soe.’ for 
May 1885. It was discovered by Mr. Bolton, who sent him specimens, as he has lately 
sent to me also, obtained from Sutton Park, Birmingham.—P.H.G.]! 
Length (moderately extended), ;!, inch; width, +35 inch. Habitat. Birmingham ; 
Coleshill (T.B.) ; Sandhurst (Dr. Collins). 
C. PAcHYyuRUS, Gosse, sp. nov. 
(Pl. XVI. fig. 4.) 
(SP. CH. Front furnished with a pair of long and thick auricles projectile and 
retractile ; lumbar regions with tubules, destitute of sete ; tail saccate. 
The general accuracy of Prof. Ehrenberg’s details, where he gives them, makes me 
distinguish this species from his N. copeus; though it comes very close to that fine 
species, perhaps even closer than does Dr. Hudson’s N. spicata, or any other. It is, in- 
deed, less than half the size of Copeus (= Ehrenbergit), my specimen measuring 7); inch 
in length, when moderately extended ; I could not be sure that the brain had more than 
one lobe; the lumbar tentacles are placed far back, as in spicatus, and differ in 
apparent structure from those of either; and finally the tail is neither a minute conical 
tubercle nor a long stiff point, but a wide sub-globose sac (as in spicatus, but far 
larger), whose walls are thrown into stiff sharp folds, as if composed of a firm leathery 
skin. 
Yet the general aspect is that of Hhrenbergii; the auricles have the same form and 
direction, and the same comparatively large dimensions. Ordinarily they are quite wn- 
» A side view of this fine Rotiferon has been accidentally omitted from pl. xvi.; but will be given 
in pl. xxx. It shows that the two occipital antenn are connected by a transverse ridge crossing from 
the base of the one, to that of the other. My solitary specimen had a semi-transparent gelatinous 
covering, out of which peeped the ends of the four tentacles. The ephippial egg, when I first saw it, 
was quite smooth, and separated by a clear space from its outmost covering. I saw its prickles begin 
to grow, and watched them slowly stretching across to the outer shell. Two hours elapsed before they 
had accomplished the distance.—C.T.H. 
