'^63 



VI. — Second List of Rotifera of Natal. 

 By Hon. Thomas Kirkman, M.L.C., F.K.M.S. 



(Bead February 21, 1906.) 

 Plate XII. 



In January 1901* I sent to the Royal Microscopical Society a list 

 of Eotifera found by me in Natal up to that time, enumerating 

 52 species. 



Continuing my observations at various times when opportunity 

 served, I have now to submit a further list of 20 species, amongst 

 which one at least, Copeus triangulatus, is an interesting new 

 species. 



Rhizota. 



Floscularia coronetta Cubitt. — This was found in considerable 

 quantities on the tips of grass roots in a pool of the Umzinto river, 

 during 1901. It agreed in all respects with the description given 

 by Hudson and Gosse. 



Floscularia omata Ehrenberg. — I found this in company with 

 Lacinularia, November 1901, in small numbers. 



(Ecistcs longicornis Davis. — What appeared to be this, was found 

 in January 1904, in a dam on the Equeefa river, on grass roots in 

 small quantity. It had the long recurved antennas and the tube 

 as illustrated by Hudson and Gosse. 



Lacinularia socialis Ehrenberg. — This was found in November 

 1904, on stems, etc., and roots of grass in Umzinto pools. 



Megalotrocha semi-bullata Hudson. — There were considerable 

 numbers of this during the years 1902-3 in pools of the Umzinto. 

 I looked for the muscles that caused the contractions, but could 

 not find any of the usual striated muscles as are seen, say, in 

 Ptcrodina ; but under a 4 mm. of Zeiss, I saw what I took to be 

 muscles acting in a spiral manner, like the threads of the common 

 Vorticdla. I had three under view in the same field, and watched 

 them coil in a spiral manner as the animal retracted its head, and 

 uncoil again as the animal became fully extended. The animals 

 do contract slightly below the trifid knob, and, in case of a sudden 

 and great alarm, have the power to retract within themselves both 

 their head and foot absolutely and completely, when they present 

 the appearance of minute little kegs or casks, the circular muscles 

 looking like distended elastic hoops. This species cannot be 



* See this Journal, 1901, pp. 229-41. 



