Marvels of Pond- Life. 57 



and which has never been precisely understood, caused 

 gentle currents to flow towards the mouth in the 

 middle of the lobes, and from the motion of the gizzard, 

 imperfectly seen through the integument, and from the 

 rapid filling of the stomach with particles of all hues, 

 it was plain that captivity had not destroyed the 

 Floscule's appetite, and that the drop of water in the 

 live-box contained a good supply of food. 



Sometimes the particles swallowed were too small to 

 be discerned, although their aggregate effect was 

 visible ; but often a monad or larger object was in- 

 gulfed, but without any ciliary action being visible to 

 account for the journey they were evidently compelled 

 to perform. The long hairs took no part whatever in 

 the foraging process, and as they do not either provide 

 victuals or minister to locomotion, they are clearly not, 

 as was supposed by early observers, representatives of 

 the " wheels," which the ordinary Rotifers present. 

 Neither can the cylindrical jar or bottle be justly 

 deemed to occupy the position of the lorica, or carapace 

 which we have before described. The general structure 

 of the creature and the nature of its gizzard distinctly 

 marked it out as a member of the family we call 

 " Rotifers/' but the absence of anything like " wheels " 

 proves that those organs are not essential characteristics 

 of this class. 



Noticeable currents are not always produced when 

 the mouth of this Floscule is fully expanded. On one 

 occasion, one having five lobes was discovered standing 

 at such an angle in a glass trough that the aperture 

 could be looked down into. The position rendered it 



