Astasiaea.'] infusorial animalcules. 187 



doubled on itself or twisted. Length l-650th. to l-520th. In 

 ditch water. 



Genus Ambltophis. The tail-less eye Asfasiaa. — The charac- 

 teristics of this genus are, that it is free, possesses an eye and single 

 thi'ead-like proboscis, but is tail-less. The proboscis serves as an 

 organ of locomotion, and is situated at the creature's foremost ex- 

 tremity, which, says Ehrcnberg, is cleft, so as to represent a two- 

 lipped mouth ; the upper lip bearing the proboscis, being very readily 

 distinguished. The colour of the animalcule is derived from the 

 closely compressed mass of green granules, which nearly fills the 

 body, and may be regarded as ova. There may be seen also, near the 

 middle of the creature, a large bright globular body, and five wand- 

 like bodies, two of which are situated before, and three behind, the 

 first mentioned one. The whole of these are supposed to be male 

 generative organs. No contractile spennatic vesicle has been ob- 

 served. Self-division is imknown in these creatures. The sensitive 

 system is more beautifully and clearly developed in this genus than 

 in any other of the Polygastric Infusoria. Towards the anterior 

 part of the body, and just behind the proboscis, where the mass of 

 ova commences, there is a bright red and somewhat lengthened spot 

 (resembling, as to situation and colour, the eye of the wheel Ani- 

 malcules and Entomasti'aca), beneath which, in the clear space 

 below, is a mass of matter of a very peculiar description, of a globular 

 fonn, having the appearance of nervous ganglia, and being most 

 probably connected with the organ of vision. 



A. viridis. — Body large, elongated, cylindrical, distended or com- 

 pressed, and abruptly rounded at the posterior extremity ; green ; 

 head colourless ; eye large, bright red. The motion of this creature 

 is duU and serpentine, and by its evolutions might easily be mistaken 

 for the JEiiglena spirogyra, were that creature, like this, tail-less- 

 Group 70 represents three specimens, one full grown, and the others 

 young. Found with Euglena, chiefly in the spring. Length l-210th 

 to 1-1 40th. 



Genus Euglena. TJie eye Animalcule. — This beautiful genus of 

 the family Astasiaea is characterized by its members being furnished 

 with an eye, a single thread-like proboscis, and tail, and by their 

 being free, that is, not attached by a pedicle. The locomotive pro- 



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