178 MARVELS OF POND-LTFE. 



of one hundred and five was conveniently employed 

 to enable its structure to be discerned. Under this 

 power, when the animal was resting or moving 

 slowly, a mouth was perceived on the left side 

 of the proboscis, which was usually, though not 

 always, curved to the right. The mouth was a 

 round or oval orifice, and when illuminated by the 

 parabola, its lips or margin looked thickened, and 

 of a pale blue, and ciliated, while the rest of the 

 body assumed a pinkish pearly tint. 



Below the mouth came a funnel-shaped tube or 

 sesophagus, having some folds or plaits on its sides, 

 and terminating in a broad digestive tube, distinct 

 from the nucleus, and ramifying like a tree. The 

 constriction before mentioned, which was always 

 seen in certain positions, although it varied very 

 considerably in depth and width, drew up the in- 

 tegument towards the main trunk of the digestive 

 tube, and thus the animal had a distinct ventral 

 and dorsal side. The branches of the tube stopped 

 somewhat abruptly just before reaching the surface, 

 and were often observed to end in small round 

 vacuoles or vesicles. 



At the bottom of the bladder, opposite the mouth, 

 in some specimens were large round cavities or cells, 

 filled with smaller cells, or partially transparent 

 granules. These varied in number from one to 

 two or three, and were replaced ic other specimens 



