Objects for the Microscope. 179 



however, a larger species of prey is taken in the net the 

 result is sometimes inconvenient. A Notommata heedlessly 

 sailing along I once saw drawn into the horseshoe snare, 

 and though with strong bounds he dodged the encircling 

 arms, and evidently went down against his will, yet down 

 he went, when presently I observed that he recovered heart 

 within that prison, and began feeding on the smaller fry 

 that had been swallowed with himself. The next day the 

 poor Plumatella looked weak, and was evidently ill at ease 

 with that rampant Notommata within still jerking about 

 and feeding. The ne^xt day the polype was dead. Out of 

 the perishing body sprang the triumphant infusoria. 



Let me urge every one who can do so to obtain either 

 the Plumatella itself or Statoblasts, and for all such supplies 

 of vegetable or animal life the student had better go to 

 King's, 190, Great Portland Road. 



PALUDICELLA 



is found in still or slowly running water, attached to stones 

 in dark corners, the cells very much resembling those of 

 the marine Eucratia cliellata. 



LOPHOPUS 



has a transparent gelatinous tunic, enclosing several polypes, 

 and attaches itself to the stems of Lemna Polyrhiza in dark 

 ponds or ditches. 



ALCYONELLA 



may be found in sluggish water in dense masses, after 

 encrusting the branches of trees which dip into the water. 



CRISTATELLA MUCEDO. 



The large light-loving, beautiful creature, flinging its 

 broad polypidom over stems of the water-lily, and they 

 come forth in a watch-glass under the microscope, neither 

 shrinking from the light, nor frightened at a jog of the 

 table, a whole army of tented tentacles waving to and fro. 

 Sometimes this polypidom looks like a little bit of greenish 

 sponge floating on the water. The Statoblasts are spined 

 and crystalline ; they very soon develop a polype which 

 immediately in a new process of generation multiplies by 

 gemmation. 



