42 JAMES MURRAY 



beyond the Antarctic Region. A few species have been found in Gough Island 

 (Murray, 29), and Amsterdam Island (Richters, 31). Hilgendorf (19) has published 

 a list of over forty species from New Zealand, in about latitude 43 S., and these are- 

 the nearest neighbours to the Antarctic Rotifers of which I can find any notice. 



Order BDELLOIDA 

 Family PHILODINAD^E 



Genus Philodina 

 Philodina gregaria, sp. n. (Plate XL, Figs. 7a7e) 



Specific characters. Large, corona large, narrower than trunk, wider than collar, 

 space between discs wide, the rounded lobes springing from collar large, the interspace 

 with two smaller convexities ; collar very prominent, but scarcely marked off from 

 pedicels; rostrum short and broad; antenna short; eyes large, pale brown; teeth 2 +1 / 1+ 2;- 

 foot of four joints, spurs slender, acute, moderately divergent, separated by broad flat 

 interspace; viviparous; found aggregated in great numbers, forming larger or smaller 

 patches. 



Detailed description. Size variable ; smallest about $ inch long, in the feeding 

 attitude (= 416 M) ; longest measured ^ inch (= 800 /*) when fully extended creep- 

 ing : a fairly large example had the following measurements, diameter of corona y^ 

 inch (= 166 yu), of collar y^ (inch = 132 /*), of neck -^ inch (= 106 /*), of trunk 

 yy T inch (= 213 ft), length of jaw ^fa inch (=* 47 M). of spur ygVs inch (=25 /*). 

 Central setae were not detected on the discs. The very prominent collar passes 

 insensibly into the pedicels, the junction marked only by the line of fine cilia 

 (secondary wreath). The rostrum bears short lamellae, a brush of active cilia, and 

 four stout straight setae, corresponding to the tactile setae of P. brevipes (25) and 

 some other species, but they were not seen in motion. The length of the antenna is 

 about equal to half the diameter of the neck segment which bears it. 



The brain is fairly large. Each jaw bears two strong teeth and one thin one, and 

 in addition the usual fine striae. There is a prominent hook at the back of the ramus. 

 The stomach is very voluminous, and of a very bright deep ruby or crimson colour, 

 due to the presence of coloured granules and globules. The central trunk is the 

 broadest part of the body, and varies in size with the number of young carried. It is- 

 regularly plicate, the folds shallower on the back, deeper on the sides. 



The reproduction is viviparous. Usually there are two or three young carried at a 

 time. Whatever the number, they appear to be all at the same stage of development. 

 At any rate they are all of the same apparent size, and after the jaws are developed 

 they appear to be alike in all. It is very different with the genus Rotifer, in which. 



