12 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [January, 



Rotifer Notes. 



By D. S KELLICOTT, 



COLUMBUS, OHIO. 



An Interesting Habitat. — As August was drawing to a close I 

 had the great pleasure of a visit to a sphagnous swamp, where the 

 northern pitcher-plant grew in abundance. Owing to heat and 

 drought the soil of the surrounding country was parched, the water of 

 pon(ls and streams well nigh dissipated, but ever}- pitcher of this inter- 

 esting plant was a veritable, minute aquarium, supporting both a variety 

 and a wealth of animal life. It is true the remains of many victims, 

 such as beetles and other large insects, v/ere contained in the older pits, 

 attesting their destilictiveness, whilst the living were disporting and 

 multiplying in these shady retreats among the yielding sphagnum. The 

 forms noticed were larvae of diptera, small \\orms, infusoria, rhizo- 

 poda, and rotifera. Of the last only one species was more than rare; 

 this was Rotifer vulgaris^ which was exceedingly numerous. 



Rotifer elongatus. — This remarkable rotiferon was discovered by 

 Mr. E. F. Weber, near Geneva, vSwitzerland, and described in iSSS. 

 In July, 1890, I found it in abundance at Corunna, Michigan. It oc- 

 curred among the decaying matter of shallow bogs, found only by 

 skimming from the bottom. 



I think there can be no mistake in regard to the identification, as the 

 form discovered by me could not possibly be any one of the several 

 described species of this difficult genus ; moreover, it agrees very well 

 with the description and figures given in Professor Hudson's " Supple- 

 ment," page 9, and plate xxxii. The Michigan examples agree with 

 those from Switzerland in size, general outline, corona, proboscis, and 

 habits. I note the following observed characters ; it will be seen on 

 comparison that slight differences appear to exist: The body is brown 

 and bears a slight amount of debris ; it is not only constricted as de- 

 scribed, but fluted ; the spines are long, slightly curved towards the 

 toes and taper to a point ; there is a slight constriction before the tip in 

 consequence of which the spine is easily flexed as the animal moves 

 about; the toes are nearlv the same length as the spines, curved, and 

 gradually tapering to the obtuse extremity ; the middle one is shortest. 

 When contracted, the flutings disappear. The extremities when pro- 

 truded from the telescopic body are wonderfully transparent, affording 

 the clearest view possible of the internal organs. 



During July, 18SS, I hunted daily for rotifera throughout this same 

 locality and often in the same pond in which it was common in 1890. 

 I did not find it. It was doubtless there, but it had not been made 

 known to science and there was a veil before mv eves. It is often so. 



Defects in Certain European Graijho Prisms. 



By L. E. KNOTT, 



JAMAICA PLAINS, MASS. 



At the request of the editor, the following notes are presented relative 

 to the drawing apparatus figured in the December number of this pe- 

 riodical. Improvements are, however, constantly being made with a 

 view to overcoming them 



