252 PUNOI OK THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BIRMIXGHA.U. 



T. tubercularia, Berk. Suttou Park. Sept. 



T. torta, Willd. On an old oak j^ate-post, Great Barr. Oct. 



Dacrymyces deliquescens, Uub. Driffold Lane, Sutton. Sept.' 



D. stillatus, Nees. On rails and stumps, abundant. Aug., Sept. 



W B. Grove, B.A. 

 ( To be continued. ) 



FLOSCULAEIA EEGALIS. 



BY C. T. HUDSON, M.A., LL,D., F.R.M.S. 



This remarkable new floscule was sent to me a few days ago by 

 Mr. Thomas Bolton, who found it on some Myriopbyllum in a pond 

 near Birmingham. 



The same weed bore specimens of F. caiiiptiiinlata, F. ambir/ua 

 (which is also cue of Mr. Bolton's discoveries), F. coronetta and 

 F. ornata. The new rotifer has a nearly circular cup-shaped disc, the 

 edge of which bears six slightly recurved processes ending in knobs 

 covered with long radiating setae. The processes taper from their bases 

 up to the knobs, and are set at regular distances round the cup, giving 

 the rim quite a hexagonal appearance. 



The two processes which are nearest to the dorsal surface are shorter 

 than the others, and between them rises a triangular lobe longer than 

 any of the processes, and also crowned with a setse-bearnig knob. The 

 disc is thus a kind of cross between that of F. coronetta and F. ornata, 

 only with this hitherto unique distinction, viz., that there are seven 

 processes issuing from it. 



All the previously known floscules have either live or three such 

 processes, and there is only one known species that has the latter 

 number — Mr. Hood's F. trifoliiun. Ehrenberg's six-lobed F. proboscidea. 

 is no doubt the five-lobed F. cumpamdatu. 



F. regalis (for so it is proposed to name it) is not one of the larger 

 species. The majority of those I have seen were about ^th. of an inch, 

 and the largest was -^(jth.. The smaller, and probably younger, ones were 

 unusually transparent for floscules. The two eyes were readily found 

 on the dorsal side, both by direct and by dark ground illumination. I 

 was surprised also to find how easy it was to see the semicircle of small 

 cilia which lies at the bottom of the cup on the ventral side. In the 

 majority of the other species these are extremely difficult to make out. 

 On the other hand, the tube of the new floscule was in every instance 

 almost invisible. I could just make out its existence, but that was all. 

 No great stress ought, however, to be laid on this, as the tubes of all 

 species vary very much according to their habitat. 



I will only add to this brief description that the floscule, when 

 fully expanded, usually extends outwards all the six linear processes, 

 but curves inward the seventh triangular one over the cup-shaped disc, 

 and uses both it and its setae to prevent the escape of its prey. 

 Sept. 24th, 1882. 



