Freshwater Polyzoon from S. Africa. 273 



solution of weak caustic potash. This caused the ectocyst to 

 become opaque and swell up. On Jan. 22 I noticed that the 

 orifices in the ectocyst had been closed by this swelling and 

 the polypides were trying in vain to emerge. I consequently 

 removed with needles the caps of ectocyst which shut in each 

 of the four individuals, and all the four polypides then ex- 

 panded and fed on that day and on the thirteen days following 

 it. On Feb. 4 one individual had lost half of its lophophore, 

 and on the succeeding days the other individuals one by one 

 vanished. To what cause this disappearance was due I was 

 not able to determine. Individuals of Cyclops were present 

 in the water, but I removed these as soon as the first indi- 

 vidual was noticed to be imperfect. 



A second batch of statoblasts hatched at the end of March 

 and beginning of April, but none of these lived long, probably 

 because the supply of minute green algaa which came with 

 them from Africa had run out. 



Rousselet comments on the small number of Polyzoa 

 known from African freshwaters, the total then being eight 

 species. Lophopus capensis is the ninth, and it is noticeable 

 that of nine species three would belong to Rousselet's genus 

 Lophopodella if that genus were to stand. But, as Annan- 

 dale remarks, the chief character in which Lophopodella 

 differs from Lophopus is the presence of hooked processes at 

 the extremities of the statoblast ; and seeing that L. lenden- 

 feldi, var. himalayanus, possesses statoblasts some of which 

 bear hooked processes while others lack them, the importance 

 of this character in classification is weakened, and it can 

 hardly be regarded as of generic value. The species of 

 Lophopodella should therefore be included in Lophopus. 



In conclusion, I wish to thank Dr. Harmev for much kind 

 help and interest. 



Literature consulted. 



Axlman. Monograph of Freshwater Polyzoa. Ray Society. 1866. 

 Axxaxdale. Records of the Indian Museum, 1U07, vol. i. part ii. 



pp. 14-5-149. 

 Braem. Bibliotheca Zoologica, 1890, Band ii. Heft 6. 

 Kkaepelin. Abhandl. naturw. Ver. Hamburg, xii. 1892. 

 Oka. J. Coll. Sci. Japan, iv. 



. Armotat. Zool. Japon. vi. part 2. 1907. 



Rousselet. Proc. Zool. ."Soc. 1907, p. 251. 



. Journ. CJuekett Microsc. Club. 1904, p. 49. 



Turpix. Ann. Sci. Nat. (2) Zool. vii. 1837. 



Ann. & Mag. N. Ilist. Ser. 8. Vol. ii. 19 



