BUNONEMA INEQUALE 105 



one member of a pair of tubercles is missing, or where one member 

 of a moniliform series appears to be missing, and the natural inference 

 is that such tubercles never existed. This inference may, however, 

 be incorrect, as there is very little evidence left to tell of the acci- 

 dental removal of a tubercle; no very definite scar remains to tell 

 the tale. 



Bunonema can exert suction so as to attach itself by the aid of its 

 lips even to smooth surfaces like glass. Specimens sometimes may 

 be seen to attach themselves firmly by the head, and to wave back 

 and forth through the water in which they are mounted. 



It is clear that Bunonema is cloeely related to Rhabditis. This 

 is shown by the structure of the pharynx, oesophagus, intestine, ex- 

 cretory system, and sexual organs. With reference to these latter, 

 there is the difference that in Bunonema the bursa is rudimentary 

 and the male papillae reduced in size so as to resemble those of 

 Cephalobus. Bunonema appears therefore to be related to Cephalobus, 

 especially that group of Cephalobi in which the labial structures are 

 somewhat elaborate. 



The most obvious source of food for the species of Bunonema here 

 described is the mycelium of wood-infesting fungi, which is abundant 

 in the cells of the rotting wood inhabited by the Bunonema. It may 

 be that the peculiar modifications of the cuticle are triturating organs 

 enabling the nematodes to break down the walls of fungus mycelium 

 and so obtain the contents of the mycelial cells with greater ease. 

 No organized food has been seen in the intestine of Bunonema, but 

 occasionally granules have been seen that resembled those of the cell 

 contents of the fungi. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 



4.2 16. 23. '57. '29. 94. 



1. Bunonema inequale, n. sp. 3^7 5^2 iu) 7~i 27e ' ' The cuticle of 

 about three-fourths of the right side of the body presents a rudely hexagonal 

 network or tessellation. The meshes of this network are of variable size, those 

 nearest the dorsal and ventral lines being the smaller. The division lines of 

 the tessellation of the cuticle are due to the peculiar arrangement of the minute 

 strongly refractive cuticular elements into which portions of the transverse striae 

 are resolvable. The tessellation becomes much finer toward the extremities of 

 the body, where the dot-like refractive elements are no longer arranged regularly. 

 Thence onward toward the extremities the cuticle is not striated and is more 

 nearly colorless, and very transparent. 



Opposite the right lateral line there is a very prominent single series of slightly 

 yellowish, relatively large, projecting, cushion-shaped, striated, chitinous ap- 



