272 BRIGHTWELL, ON TRICERATIUM, 



evidence of much vegetable growth (Fig. 19), and also a large number of 

 minute points, which, on the water being exposed to the action of the air 

 in a warm room, for three days, became exceedinr;;ly lively animalcules, 

 which move so rapidly over the field of the microscope that their exact 

 form cannot be defined, but appear to be of an oval, flattened shape, some- 

 what like the sole, and are not quite one-thousandth of an inch in length.' 



" Professor Buckman's microscopic observations exactly coincide with 

 the above, except that he has not found animalcules. His drawings are 

 similar. He says, the water contains an abundance of fungoid growths, 

 and from the fact of their requiring nitrogen for their nourishment, he 

 is of opinion they must obtain their supply from some communication 

 with a neighbouring cesspool. He concludes their presence is sufficient to 

 account for almost any amount of mischief. 



" Dr. Britten, of Bristol, observes, ' I find a few filamentous confervoid 

 filaments, with sporules and sporangia developed upon and around empty 

 decomposing spore cases.' 



" My own observations, repeated a great many times, confirm the above, 

 with this addition, that besides the growths already mentioned, the great 

 bulk of the fungus is a prolongation of hair-like tubes, twisting and 

 decussating in every direction, so as to form a tangled knot, like a skein of 

 floss silk in a tangle." 



It is quite impossible to refer the loose flocculi (fig. 19) 

 found in this water to any particular species of Fungi. The 

 interest of the facts stated above consist in their probably indi- 

 cating a condition of the well-water injurious to health. 



With regard to Professor Buckman's theory that the well at 

 Cirencester probably communicated with a cesspool, I may add, 

 that the well in Broad Street, in which the fungus first described 

 was found, was subsequently proved to have communicated, by 

 a broken drain, with a cesspool in a neighbouring housa 



Farther Observations on the Genus Triceratium, with De- 

 scriptions and Figures of New Species. By T. Brightwell, 

 F.L.S. 



In June, 1853, I communicated to this Journal a paper on 

 the genus Triceratium, with descriptions and fig^ures of 22 

 species. Since that time, I have used my best endeavours to 

 add to my knowledge of these singular forms, and have nearly 

 doubled my list. Those not before described I purpose 

 to describe in this paper, adding figures of each species, 

 and shortly to notice such as other labourers in the same field 

 have made known. I take this opportunity, also, to correct 

 some errors in my former paper. 



The species described and named by me T. hrachiolatum I 

 conclude (since I have seen Ehrenberg's fig. in his ' Micro- 

 geologie ') to be bis T. jrileolus. See ' Microgeologie,' PI. 

 XXXV. A. XXI. fig. 17. 



