Flosculai-ia.'] infusorial animalcules. 617 



in the characters assigned it, and in the species included in it from 

 the Floscidaria of Ehrenberg, Only two genera are placed by the 

 French naturalist in his family : viz. Floscidaria and Stephanoceros. 

 Contrary to Ehrenberg' s assertion, those two genera are stated by 

 Dujardin to be destitute of a rotatory organ — indeed, of vibratile 

 cilia ; and are described as having a campanulate, contractile body, 

 tapering towards the base so as to form a long pedicle, by which 

 they are affixed to solid bodies. The mouth furnished with horny 

 jaws. Speaking of their affinities, he remarks, " The Flosculariens, 

 like the Melicerticiis also, have a certain affinity in form with the 

 Forticelliens and the S fen tors, and also with the Campanularia 

 among Polypes; they live in the saine way, fixed to water plants by 

 the pedicle of their campanulate body, the margin of which presents 

 five or six lobes, terminated by appendages or cilia, without, how- 

 ever, indication of a vibratile movement. At the bottom of this 

 wide opening is situated the mouth, provided with jaws attached 

 to a muscular bulb, less frequent and regular in its movements than 

 the like organ in other Rotatoria. In Floscularia the jaws are 

 simple, and the lobes of the (anterior) margin short, but with 

 long radiating cilia ; whilst in Stepha?ioceros the jaws are com- 

 pound, and the marginal lobes very long and covered with short 

 cilia." 



Dujardin states further, that the gelatinous case of Floscidaria 

 may disappear, and therefore cannot be used as a generic distinction, 

 either in the case of that genus, or indeed of the other genera 

 included in Ehrenberg's family of that name. Entertaining this 

 opinion of the difi"erences of the gelatinous envelope being accidental, 

 not constant, Dujardin rejects the genus Limnias as not distinct 

 from Lacimdaria. Of the remaining examples of Ehrenberg's 

 family Floscularia, viz. Tubicolaria, Lacinularia, and Melicerta, 

 with Ptygura, previously described, Dujardin constitutes a family 

 he calls Melicertiens. 



Genus Tubicolaria. — The encased wheel Animalcides are destitute 

 of eyes at all ages (?), have a four-lobed rotatory organ, and a trans- 

 parent gelatinous case (iirceolus). Internally are four posterior 

 longitudinal muscles, an alimentary canal, with a long stomach, 

 devoid of caecal appendages ; a short rectum, an oesophageal head 



