DIVISION OF TRACHELIUS OVUM. 181 



of the live-box. A glance with the pocket-lens 

 shewed all was right, and the cover v/as very 

 gently put on, but it had scarcely touched the 

 creature when it became crumpled up and in con- 

 fusion. On one or two former occasions I had 

 been unfortunate enough to give my captives a 

 squeeze too much, with the usual result of a 

 rupture of their integuments and an escape of 

 globules and fluids from the regions within. Now, 

 however, there was no such rupture and no such 

 escape, but instead of a smooth, comely surface, 

 my Trachelius had lost all title to his specific 

 designation, orum^ for instead of bearing any resem- 

 blance to an egg^ it was more like an Irishman's hat 

 after having a bit of a "shindy" at Donnybrook Fair. 

 I was greatly puzzled with this aspect of things, 

 and still more so when my deranged specimen 

 twirled and bumped about with considerable ve- 

 locity, and in all directions. Presently a decided 

 constriction appeared about half-way below the 

 mouth and proboscis, and in a transverse direction. 

 The ciliary motion became very violent in the 

 lower half just below the constriction, while the 

 proboscis worked hard to make its half go another 

 way. For some minutes there was a tug of war, 

 and at length away went proboscis with his por- 

 tion, still much crumpled by the fight, and left 

 the other bit to roam at will, gradually smooth 



