Dr. W. M. Dobie on two new species of Floscularia. 235 



my opinion to the peculiar serpentine movement always observed 

 at this point. See fig. 3 d. 



The cilia on the upper surface of this diaphragm and on the 

 edges of its aperture assist in carrying the food into the crop. 



In both species the crop is ciliated throughout its interior. 

 The next cavity, or second oesophageal bulb, contains the jaws 

 and teeth — communicating above with the crop, and below with 

 the conical termination of the alimentary tube. The teeth and 

 jaws seem exactly alike in both the species I have examined with 

 care : each jaw contains a bifurcated tooth, greatly resembling 

 that of the Stephanoceros, only much more minute. See figs. 3, 

 4&5. 



The ovigerous sac or ovary is large in both, containing several 

 large ova which seem to be discharged from the cloaca, which is 

 common to both the ovary and the alimentary canal. The red 

 points can be seen in the e^^ before it is discharged ; the move- 

 ments of the young animal within its case are quite perceptible 

 at this period. See figs, (i & 3 ^. 



The eggs for some time before they are completely hatched 

 remain about the bottom of the case. I have been unable to 

 detect any male organs in either of the species. 



The tail is long, and composed of non-striated muscular fibre 

 inclosed in a continuation of the general integument. In the 

 Floscularia campanulata it terminates in a homogeneous non-con- 

 tractile filament produced into a sucker-like expansion, by which 

 the animal attaches itself to Confervse or Ceratophyllum. 



The muscular system consists of non-striated fibres. Those 

 composing the tail extend upwards and are lost upon the surface 

 of the body. In the F. campanulata five very distinct bands run 

 up the sides of the vestibule and infundibulum, and terminate by 

 bifurcating in the depression between the lobes. The body and 

 tail are highly contractile; the vestibule particularly so, large 

 animalcules being frequently forced through the aperture leading 

 into the crop by the powerful and continued contractions of its 

 walls. 



No trace of a vascular system can be observed. The tremu- 

 lous gill-like organs found in some Rotifers are here absent. 



With the exception of the eye-spots in the young animal, there 

 are no organs of special sense. The whole surface is acutely sen- 

 sible of tactile impressions, but the lobes of the rotatory organ and 

 the cornu are perhaps more sensitive than the general surface. 



The cilia on these animals are of two kinds : the usual short 

 vibratile kind line the interior of the crop and alimentary canal, 

 and cover the lower part of the vestibule. The other variety of 

 cilia are extremely long and filiform, of uniform thickness, and 

 not vibratile under ordinary circumstances. They are slowly 



16* 



