128 FRESHWATER LIFE. 



withdraw itself. It is very prolific, aud sometimes increases in such numbers 

 as to render the water turbid. The terminal forceps of the tail-foot can be 

 di-awn back into a sheath. Both the front and liinder edges of the body- 

 shield are usually toothed. I have often seen this majestic creature, 

 with from two to four eggs attached to the hinder part of her body, 

 saiHng about as if proud of her matei-nal charge. She thus tugs along 

 a precious load of care through a large portion of her existence ; while 

 the crimson eye of the parent is prettily imitated by the tiny eye-spots 

 of her yet unhatched offspring. My last example, Pterodina patina, 

 is found lurking under the leaves of duck-weed. Its generic name refers 

 to certain wing-hke processes' ; its specific name aptly describes the dish- 

 like form of the soft, flat, transparent lorica. The tail-foot comes out 

 through an opening in the lorica near the middle of its ventral suiiace, 

 giving the creature a profile somewhat Hke a shield with its handle. The 

 free extremity of the tail-foot acts like a sucker, enabhng its possessor to 

 hold on to one spot, while swinging round with the rest of its body, an 

 exercise which it seems to enjoy. Owing to the transparency of the body- 

 shield every internal organ can be discerned with ease. The convolutions of 

 the respiratory canals are pai-ticularly well shown. Two longitudinal 

 muscles can also be seen, crossed by faint striae. 



In bringing my imperfect observations upon Rotifera to a close, I 

 take the opportunity of strongly recommending to the student, as books 

 full of interesting information and excellent figures. Slack's "Marvels of 

 Pond Life," aud Gosse's " Evenings at the Microscope." 





British Barrows : a Becord of the Examination of Sepulchrnl Moundt: in 

 various parts of England. By Wm. Geeenwell, M.A., F.S.A. 

 London : Macmillan and Co. Price £1 5s. 



Canon Grccnwell's " British Barrows " is not only the most 

 important contribution to Archreology which 1877 produced ; it is one of 

 the most accurate and philosophic works which have yet apjjeared on the 

 pre-historic branch of the science. We use the term " pre-historic " in 

 that convenient, if rather loose sense, which applies it to the times after 

 the Paleolithic age, and before the dawn of history. No single book has 

 added so much to our knowledge of the Neolithic aud Brouze periods. As 

 a record of actual exploration it has few equals, as a comment on dis- 

 coveries it has hardly a rival. The introduction is a compendious state- 

 ment of what is known and what can be inferred respecting tho 

 unrecorded past. Many of the older books on Archaeology are so obscured 

 by fanciful or traditionary notions that the facts they contain lose much 

 of their value. An antiquary who started on his explorations expecting 

 to disentomb an Ophite temple, a Druidical altar, or a monument of King 

 Arthur, unconsciously distorts his discoveries to fit in with his expecta- 

 tions. Other archreologists, avoiding the Scylla of fancy, have fallen into 



