236 



KINORHYNCHA 



of cilia. To the Kotifers the affinity, dwelt on by Zelinka, is 

 less close. 



Kinorhyncha. 



This Class and Order comprises but one genus, Ecliinoderes 

 (Fig. 120), founded in 1851 by Dujardin. 1 Eeinhard's mono- 

 graph 2 is the generally accepted authority on this subject, and 

 contains a full bibliography, with diagnoses of the individual 

 species, eighteen in number. 



The animals of this group are found in shallow seas with 

 muddy bottom, below low -water mark, and feed on organic 



debris. They have been 

 taken in the Black Sea, 

 Mediterranean, British 

 Channel, and North Sea, 

 and off the Canary 

 Islands (Lanzarote, 

 Porto Pi, Palma di 

 Mallorca). Their size 

 varies from 0*86 mm. 

 X 0'22 mm. in Ecliino- 

 deres spinosus, to 0*14 

 mm. x 0'03 mm. in E. 

 koivalevskii? 



The body is pro- 

 tected by a strong chit- 

 inous cuticle distinctly 

 forming 



eleven rings, besides a 



Fig. 120. Echinoderes dujardinii (?), drawn from a 

 preserved specimen taken at Worthing. x about 

 210. b, Bristle ; c.s, caudal spine ; ph, pharynx ; ailliulated 

 s and s, the spines on the two segments of the 

 proboscis ; s.g, salivary glands ; st, stomach. 



retractile proboscis 

 obscurely divided into two segments at the apex of which the 

 mouth opens. The anus opens on the extreme end of the last 

 segment, which is frequently retracted ; the genital pores open 

 right and left of the anus ; and the renal pores lie on either side 

 of the back of the ninth segment. The first ring may be un- 

 divided, or else distinctly divided into four plates, one dorsal, 



; Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 3, vol. xv. 1851, p. 158. 



2 Zcitschr. wiss. Zool. vol. xlv. 1887, pp. 401-467, t. xx-xxii. 



3 The breadth of the latter is estimated from Reinhard's figure. 



