UXISTES. 103 



specimen of a tube-dwelling rotifer, the (Ecistes 

 crystaUinus^ which, although less 'beautiful than the 

 Floscules or the Melicerta, is, nevertheless, a 

 pretty and interesting object. In this instance a 

 little rough dirty tube, about 1-70" long, was 

 observed to contain an animal capable of rising up 

 and expanding a round mouth garnished with a 

 wreath of cilia; wdiile a little below, the indefati- 

 gable and characteristic gizzard of the tribe w^as in 

 full play. A power of two hundred and forty linear 

 sufficed to afford a good view, and it w^as seen that 

 a long, irregular, conical body was supported upon 

 a short Avrinkled stalk. The usual drawings repre- 

 sent this creature with a short bell-shaped body 

 upon ^ very long slender pedicle. Possibly this one 

 might have been able to shew himself under this 

 guise, but he did not attempt it; his appearance 

 being always pretty much as described, which made 

 the foot shorter and the body longer than the 

 measurements which naturalists have given, and 

 according to whicli the whole creature is 1-3 G" 

 long, although the body is only 1-140". The tube 

 of the (Ecistes is called a ''lorica," or carapace; 

 but it has in truth no right whatever to the 

 appellation. 



Another strange rotifer, of wdiose name I am 

 uncertain, had an ovalish oblong body, and a pair 

 of legs like compasses, twice as long as himself 



