The Animalcules j continued. 131 



Of the first of these groups, tlie Beautiful Floscule 

 (Floscularia ornata) and Melicerta ringens are most 

 interesting examples. I found both of them in April, 

 single specimens of each, and examined them with 

 sufficient care to enable me to appreciate the book- 

 descriptions of them, which had already excited my 

 curiosity. 



The floscule was among a debris of water-weeds, 

 and appeared like a brown bulb on a stalk when 

 viewed with a low magnifying power ; but the moment 

 it greeted my eye, I thought ' ' here is a floscule, and 

 I shall see it thrust out its long hairs like an old- 

 fashioned drawing-room hearth-brush V The next 

 instant, it was plain that this had occurred; I well 

 remember the feeling of interest with which I sub- 

 stituted a power of 200 diameters for the lower 

 magnifier at first used. The floscules possess a 

 gelatinous tube, quite like a confectioner's glass jar ; 

 this I did not contrive to see, but I realized the rest 

 of Mr. Slack's description. 



<e She slowly protruded a dense bunch of the fine 

 long hairs, which quivered in the light, and shone 

 with a delicate bluish green lustre, here and there 

 varied by opaline tints. The hairs were thrust out in. 

 a mass, somewhat after the mode in which the old- 

 fashioned telescope hearth-brooms were made to put 

 forth their bristles. As soon as they were completely 

 everted, together with the upper portion of the 

 floscule, six lobes gradually separated, causing the 

 haiis to fall on all sides in a graceful shower, and 

 when the process was complete, they remained per- 



