On a Variety o/" Meyenia fluviatilis. 453 



Ciliata, the great length of the cilia, the manner in which 

 they are employed, and the habit the animalcules exhibit 

 of anchoring themselves to foreign substances by their long- 

 posterior ^ cilia, is suggestive of the remote derivation of 

 these white ant parasites from a flagelliferous type allied to 

 Hexamita. 



Of the two remaining Infusoria found by me in the Tas- 

 manian white ant the one is apparently referable to Dr. Leidy's 

 genus Pyrsonymp/ia, while the other belongs to Stein's multi- 

 flagellate genus Lophomonas, so far recorded as a parasite 

 only of the Orthopterous insects Blatta and Gryllotalpa. 

 Several important points in their organization not having yet 

 been clearly ascertained, descriptive details of these two new 

 forms are reserved for a future communication. 



XLII. — On a Variety of the Freshwater Sponge Meyenia 

 fluviatilis. By H. J. Carter, F.K.S. &c. 



On the 17th of December, 1883, I received from Mr. B. W. 

 Thomas, F.R.M.S., of Chicago, a mounted preparation, with 

 specimen in the natural state, of a variety of Meyenia fluvia- 

 tilis, which he had found in the Calumet river near the lake 

 of this name, in the township of Calumet, South Chicago 

 suggesting, if it were new and undescnbed, that it might be 

 designated " calumetica" At this time 1 did not consider 

 the differences were sufficient to constitute a variety that 

 should be named, so, in reply, wrote to Mr. Thomas to this 

 effect. 



Subsequently, however, I had occasion to examine some 

 preparations of Meyenia fluviatilis from various localities near 

 London, which my friend Mr. J. G. Waller had kindly sent 

 me, and amongst them noticed one labelled " Ditchley's " 

 which not only differed from the rest, but presented the same 

 varietal peculiarities as the Calumet specimen ; hence I beo-an 

 to attach more importance to Mr. Thomas's suggestion than 

 I had hitherto done. Meanwhile I received another specimen 

 labelled " Ditchley's— England," from Mr. H. Mills, of Buf- 

 falo, N. Y., in which there were a number of immature stato- 

 blasts together with the spiculation of the Calumet variety • 

 and having, in reply, stated that it was the same sponge as 

 that which Mr. Thomas had proposed to designate " calume- 

 tica" 1 learned from Mr. Thomas afterwards that Mr. Mills 

 had sent my letter on to him ; that he was glad that 1 recoo-- 



