STEPHANOCEHOS. 1-35 



composed of irregular rings superimposed one upon 

 the other, as if thrown off by successive efforts, the 

 upper ones being inverted and attached to the bodv 

 of the animal. But that which constitutes the glory 

 of this little being is a crown of five tapering ten- 

 tacles, each having two rows of long cilia arranged 

 on opposing sides, but not in the same plane. The 

 ordinary position of the tentacles is that of a graceful 

 elliptical curve, first swelling outwards, then bending 

 inwards, until their points closely approximate, but 

 each is capable of independent motion, and they 

 are seldom quiet for many minutes at a time. The 

 cilia can be arranged in parallel rows or in tufts 

 at the will of the creature, and their motion appears 

 under control, and susceptible of greater modifica- 

 tion than is exhibited by the ordinary infusoria. 



The Stephanoceros is a member of the Floscule 

 family, but in all the specimens I obtained and 

 watched for several weeks, there was an important 

 difference in the relation of the tube to the creature. 

 In the Floscules I had never seen anything like an 

 adhesion between the tube and the animal, but in 

 the Stephanoceros I noticed it continually, and always 

 in the manner already described. Like the Floscule, 

 the Stephanoceros is readily alarmed, and retreats 

 into her house, carrying with her the invaginated 

 portion. In the last edition of 'Tritchard's Infu- 

 soria," this case is spoken of as apparently not 



