214 THE NORTHERN MICROSCOPIST. 
PARASITE OF VORTICELLA. 
T the usual monthly meeting of the “Rochdale and Whitworth 
Microscopical Society” held on July 7th, an interesting feature 
in connection with the Vorticella was shown by one of the mem- 
bers. On a piece of Myriophyllum spicatum obtained from a canal 
in the neighbourhood, there was found a fine cluster of Vorticella 
nebulifera, the stem of each individual being thickly studded with 
a number of small roundish bodies, new to all the members present. 
I have since found numbers of the same object myself, and I 
think fairly made out its form. 
Under a 1" objective of 27° (Wray’s), I found that the stems of 
the Vorticelle were thickly studded with a number of roundish 
semi-transparent bodies, of which it was impossible to make any- 
thing very definite with the power used. It was however noticed 
that when the stems of the Vorticellz contracted they did so more 
slowly and less completely than usual, as if there were some 
hindrance to their perfect action. A ¥ inch of 140° witha C 
eyepiece was then tried, and by these means, and by carefully 
adjusting the mirror, so as to get the requisite obliquity of the 
light, I was enabled to find that they had the shape and appearance 
Fig. 43. 
of a minute Vorticella. ‘These minute organisms were attached to 
the stems of the large Vorticellz in different ways; some had a 
stem considerably longer than the body, in others the stem was 
much shorter, and in others again no stem could be discerned at 
all. The body of the organism was tinged slightly green. From 
the upper part of the body I could just discern what might be a 
wreath of cilia, but I could distinguish no ciliary action or currents. 
