TG MARVELS OF POND-LIFE. 



gradually separated, causing the hairs to fall on 

 all sides in a gracefid sliower, and Avhen the 

 process was complete, they remained perfectly mo- 

 tionless, in six hollow fan-shaped tufts, one being 

 attached to eacli lobe. Some internal ciliary action, 

 quite distinct from the hairs, and which has never 

 been precisely understood, caused gentle currents to 

 How towards the mouth in the middle of the lobes, 

 and from the motion of the gizzard, imperfectly 

 seen through the integument, and from the rapid 

 filling of tlie stomach with particles of all hues, 

 it was plain that captivity had not destroyed the 

 Floscule's appetite, and tliat the drop of water in 

 the live box contained a good supply of food. 



Sometimes the i)articles swallowed were too small 

 to be discerned, altliough their aggregate effect was 

 visible; but often a monad or larger object was 

 ingulfed, but without any ciliary action being 

 visible to account for the journey they were 

 evidently compelled to perform. The long hairs 

 took no part whatever in the foraging process, and 

 as tliey do not either provide victuals or minister 

 to locomotion, they are clearly not, as was supposed 

 by eai'ly ol)servers, representatives of the ''wheels," 

 which the ordinary Rotifers present. Neither can 

 the cylindrical jar or bottle be justly deemed to 

 occupy the position of the lorica, or carapace 

 which we have l>efore described. The general 



