ASPLANCHNADiE. ir, 



tlie fulcrum consists, must have been split by violence evenly clown its wliole length — a 

 rather unlikely thing. The unci, too, have been destroyed. Dr. Kramer's figure of 

 Kraiiicri shows an Asplanchna whose ovary, contractile vesicle, and lateral canals are those 

 oi priodonta. The drawing of the head teaches us nothing ; for it is represented merely 

 as a puckered bag. Neither does the text help us much : for Dr. Kramer describes the 

 oviduct as two fine threads, and the nerve-threads and rocket heads, of the ventral 

 antennfe, as fine canals ending in oval bladders &c. &c. ; and he then imites the ventral 

 antennae, their nerve threads, the contractile vesicle, and the o\'iduct into one " Organ- 

 komples," which he says he cannot undertake to explain. It is impossible to say 

 whether A. Krameri is a new species, or not. 



For the reasons detailed above, I do not consider these four species as established ; 

 but I ought to add that M. de Guerne's memoir on the Asplanclinadce, in which they 

 are found, is most interesting and suggestive, and contains very instructive details of the 

 distribution of these charming Eotifera. 



A. MAGNIFICA, Hcrrick (175) ; probably = .4. myrmelco. 



Genus, ASPLANCHNOPUS, fJc Gucrne (173). 



GEN. CH. An Asplancha loith a ventral retractile foot, ending in two toes. 

 This new genus we owe to M. de Guerne {loc. cit.), who has very properly separated 

 the Eotifera it contains from the genus Asplanchna, on account of their possessing a foot. 



AsPLANCHNOPUS MTEMELEO, Ehvcnlcrg (PI. XXXII. fig. 13). 

 Notommata myrmelco Ehrenberg (42). 



SP. CH. Female with short, wholly retractile foot, but tvithout humps; eye single ; 

 rami greatly curved, with simple pointed ends, not serrated ; contractile vesicle ex- 

 panding to about half the body-cavity ; vibratile tags about fifty on each side, set on a 

 separate, and very narroiv, lateral canal ; ovary horse-shoe shaped, with broad and 

 double, rounded ends. 



This handsome Eotiferon has only lately been found in Great Britain. Mr. Hood 

 found it near Dundee in 188G, and sent it to Mr. Gosse, too late, unfortunately, for its in- 

 sertion in the " Eotifera." It the summer of 1888, however, Mr. C. Eousselet kindly 

 forwarded several specimens to me from Staines, all of which were female. It is an 

 Asplanchna with a forked foot ; and the only points of its structure, that require notice, 

 are the foot, the trophi, the gastric glands and the ovary. The foot is very short, ending 

 in two minute toes, and springs from the ventral surface, into which it can be withdrawn 

 by four muscles. The trophi are bent almost into a circle ; they are very massive at 

 the base, but taper to fine points without any hooks, or serrations, to break their circular 

 outline : neither did I notice any unci, such as are to be seen in piriodonta and Bright- 

 wellii. The gastric glands are so deeply bilobed, that the animal seems to possess four 

 gastric glands, just like Copeus spicatus. The ovary is most remarkable, not only for its 

 great size and pecuhar shape (which wiU be best imderstood from the figure) but also from 

 its being constantly thrown into ever varying curves ; now stretching the whole length 

 of the body, and now drawn down into wavy folds towards the hinder end. 



Mr. Geo. Western has described and figured ' a male Eotiferon (PL XXXII. fig. 18 b) 

 born in a trough filled with water obtained at Staines, where the female A. myrmelco 

 was then abundant. It is very probably the male of myrmelco whose general appearance 

 it much resembles ; especially in the characteristic foot. It has a large tripartite brain, 

 and eye spot ; two dorsal antennae ; a very large contractile vesicle, and numerous 



' Mr. C. Eousselet described and drew the female, in the August number of Science Gossip, 1888. 

 This led Mr. G. Western to hunt for the male, which he described and drew in the November number 

 of the same year. 



