PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Royat Microscorican Socrery. 
December 2nd, 1874. 
A PAPER was read by Dr. Hudson “ Onthe Discovery of some 
New Male Rotifers.”” The author describes the male of Lacinularia 
socialis, which he observed in numbers, as hatched from the eggs 
of one female. He describes it as consisting of little else than a 
large testis, ending in a hollow cylindrical penis, and nearly filling 
the whole internal space of the body. Of mouth, cesophagus, 
mastax, or stomach, it has not even a vestige. There is a large 
nervous ganglion, giving off nervous threads to two red eyes and 
a dorsal antenna. Tortuous tubes with vibratile tags were visible 
above the testis, and could be traced partly down the animal’s 
sides ; while above the testis, between it and the ganglion, was 
repeatedly seen the delicate outline of a contractile vesicle, this 
really holding its normal position with respect to the testis, and 
only apparently thrust out of its proper place by the monstrous 
size of that organ. Large cilia could be seen lining the passage 
through which the penis could be protruded, as well as the cup 
which terminated the short-jointed foot. 
The male of Floscu/aria campanulata was also observed, so that 
the author regards the dicecious character of these two genera as 
established. He discusses the bearings of these facts on the 
zoological position of the Fotifera. Figures are also given of 
the males of Notommata brachionus, and of a new species of 
Asplanchna. 
A paper was taken as read by Dr. Schmidt, of New Orleans, 
on “ The Development of the Smaller Blood-vessels in the Human 
Embryo.” It contained the results of observations made at different 
dates. According to the earlier observations the formation of the 
smaller blood-vyessels appeared to take place in two different 
modes. The one, belonging to the earlier mode of development, 
was observed to consist in a coalescence of certain cells, while 
by the others, at a somewhat later period, the formation of the 
blood-vessels was effected by the fusion of certain spindle-shaped 
bodies. The author believes both observations to be correct, 
the discrepancy being merely apparent. 
On December 9th a “scientific evening” was held. 
