Marvels of Pond-Life. 95 



bourhood of which the secreting and other vessels are 

 readily observed. Just over the gizzard blazes a great 

 red eye, of a square or oblong form, and it reposes 

 upon a large mass of soft granular-looking brain, 

 which well justifies Mr. Gosse's epithet " enormous." 

 Whether this brain is highly organized enough to be a 

 thinking apparatus, we do not know, but it is evidently 

 the cause of a very vigorous and consentaneous action 

 of the various organs the Brachion possesses. 



A description of the Brachion would be very in- 

 complete if it omitted that important organ the tail, 

 which in this family reaches the highest point of 

 development. It is a powerful muscular organ, of 

 great size in proportion to the animal, capable of com- 

 plete retraction within the carapace, and of being 

 everted wholly, or partially, at will. It terminates in 

 two short conical toes, protruded from a tube-like 

 sheath, and capable of adhering firmly even to a sub- 

 stance so slippery as glass. This tail may be observed 

 to indicate a variety of emotions, if we can ascribe 

 such feelings to a rotifer, and it answers many purposes. 

 Now we see it cautiously thrust forth, and turned this 

 way and that, exploring like an elephant's trunk, and 

 almost as flexible. Now it seizes firm hold of some 

 substance, and anchors its proprietor hard and fast. A 

 few moments afterwards it lashes out right and left 

 with fury, like the tail of a cat in a passion. Then 

 again it will be retracted, and a casual observer might 

 not imagine the Brachion to be furnished with such a 

 terminal implement. 



The Brachiones may often be seen with one or more 



