CASH ON THE ROTIFEEA. 105 



rectangular tank, substantially built with plate glass sides, is by far the 

 best, but for all ordinary purposes a common glass jar, such as confectioners 

 preserve their sweets in, will be found sufficient. 



I propose to give two or three short papers upon the Kotifera, and, 

 on account of its great beauty, and reported rarity, I shall give the 

 precedence to — 



Stephanooeros Eichhornii. (Ehr.) The genus Stephanoceros — 

 of which there is but one established species — possesses the following 

 characters : — *' Frontal lobes long, slender, erect, convergent ; ciliary setae 

 set around them in whorls. Jaws each of three teeth, connected by a 

 web." 



S. Eichhornii (the Crown Animalcule) which Mr. Gosse describes as 

 the largest, rarest, and most elegant species of the class, seems to be 

 tolerably plentiful about Warrington, although it has been found as yet, 

 only in one place — that is, my aquarium. This fact will serve as an 

 illustration of the value of aquaria to microscopical students. The 

 creature had, of course, been introduced with water plants from some of 

 the ponds in the neighbourhood, but all my attempts to discover the 

 particular spot from which it had come have proved futile. I first 

 discovered it in the summer of 1862. One dull, rainy afternoon I had my 

 microscope before me, and made a few dips into my aquarium just by way 

 of passing a leisure hour : I was engaged in the examination of some 

 threads of Conferva, when to my delight and astonishment the ciliated 

 tentacles of a Stephanoceros shot across the field. Any one who has 

 found a rare object, and one which he has long wished to see may guess 

 what pleasure I felt at the discovery. In the course of a few days others 

 appeared ; and on making a careful examination I found that the plants 

 in my tank were literally swarming with them. The glass sides, too, 

 were covered with scores of these beautiful creatures. They continued 

 with me throughout the winter, and I had no difficulty, at any time, in 

 finding as many as I wanted for my own amusement and study, and for 

 shewing to friends. But the time came when my tank required to be 

 emptied, and not being sufficiently careful of the Steplianoceri, I found, to 

 my regret, that they had all disappeared. Lately, they again presented 

 themselves on the introduction of fresh plants ; and I have before me, as 

 I write, a beautiful full-grown specimen, attached to a bit of fine-leaved 

 Potamogeton, and — as luck will have it — two infant Stephanoceri in close 

 proximity. The young ones, which seem to have only just settled down,. 



