" Scotia " Collections. — Note on Microscopic Life on Gough Island, South Atlantic 

 Ocean. By James Murray. Communicated by William Evans, F.R.S.E. 



(Read November 25, 1907.) 



By favour of Dr William S. Bruce and TMr R. N. Rudmose Brown, 1 was allowed 

 to examine a small tuft of moss from Gough Island, or Diego Alvarez. The material 

 was collected by the Scottish National xlntarctic Expedition when the Scotia visited 

 the island in April 1904. 



Mr Brown (1) speaks of the luxuriant vegetation of the island, wliich is " clothed in 

 green from the water's edge almost to the summit," of the " moss-clothed clifts and 

 luxuriantly growing ferns and flowers " (2), suggesting a paradise for the microscopist. 

 It may be confidently affirmed that Gough Island will be found to have a rich micro- 

 scopic fauna, as every land yet investigated, haAdng a climate favourable to the growth 

 of moss, maintains abundant microscopic life of many classes. 



It was therefore with disappointment that I found the one little tuft of moss avail- 

 able to be an unfavourable specimen. It may have been already washed, in preparing 

 it as a botanical specimen, but the sediment I obtained by washing was A-ery small in 

 quantity, and contained few recognisable organisms. 



As Dr Bruce assures me that everything found will be new for the island, I am 

 induced to publish a note on the very meagre result obtained. 



Rotifera. 



Philodina jiaviceps, Bryce (3). — A species only recently discovered in Scotland, 

 and easily recognisable by the spurs, which are very short. 



Callidina angusticollis, Murray (4). — One of the most widely distributed of all 

 Rotifers. The case only was found on Gough Island, and measured ^^^ inch (190 m) 

 in length. 



Bdelloid egg. — Similar to that of Philodina citi-ina, which has a prominence at one 

 pole of the egg. Several species, of difterent genera, lia.ve this type of egg, so that no 

 certain identification can be made from it. 



Rhizopoda. 



HeUopera petricola, Leidy, var. amethystea, Penard. 



Difflugia sp. — Of hemispherical form, like an Arcella. 



Euglypha ciliata (Ehr.). 



Euglypha sp. — No spines, section circular. A Rhizopod, with the form of a 

 Euglypha, and similar surface plates, but without spines, has been found in Scotland 

 also. 



(reprinted from the proceedings of the royal physical society of edinbukgh, vol. xvil, no. 4.) 



