FLOSCULARIA D.E. 49 



the young reared from its eggs, though perfectly healthy and breeding freely, never 

 exceeded -J T . inch in length : their eggs, too, were half the size of those of their parent. 



In F. trilobata, occasionally, the egg produces the living young in the body 

 of the parent. Mr. Hood has seen the embryo alive in the egg, within the Floscule, 

 and has witnessed its birth : yet Dr. Collins has seen the same Rotiferon deposit the 

 usual eggs in its tube. 



The Male. Until 1874 no male had been discovered among the Rhizota ; l and indeed 

 some observers supposed this group to be monoecious ; but in that year I had the good 

 fortune to find the male of Lacinularia socialis, and to study it thoroughly. 2 Soon 

 afterwards I found that of Floscularia campanulata (PL I. fig. Ic) and \ have since 

 seen what I believe to be the male of F. mutabilis (PL III. fig. 2c). Mr. Hood has 

 observed and figured the male of F. calva (PL III. fig. 36), and has seen that of 

 F. ambigua actually hatched. The structure of the male Floscule has not yet been 

 thoroughly investigated ; but, so far as it has been studied, it has been found to agree 

 with that of other male Rotifera. The corona is an imperforate many-lobed cushion, 

 surrounded by a simple circlet of long cilia. The nutritive system is wholly absent. 

 Two red eyes are visible just under the surface of the corona ; and the longitudinal 

 muscles, for withdrawing the head, are generally obvious. Nearly the whole of the 

 body-cavity is filled with a large sperm-sac (PL I. fig. Ic, and PL IIL fig. 3b ; ss) from 

 which the penis (p), a ciliated protrusile tube, proceeds to the dorsal surface, at the 

 junction of the trunk and foot. 



The vascular system, ganglion, and antennae have not yet been seen ; but no doubt 

 they are present, as in the males of other Rotifera. 



F. REGALIS, Hudson, 



(PL I. fig. 8.) 

 Floscularia regalis , . Hudson, J. Roy. Micr, Soc, 2 Ser. vol. iii. 1883, p. 106, pi. iv. fig. 3. 



> SP. CH. Lobes seven, knobbed. 



The corona is a deep cup with a nearly circular rim, from which project four knobbed 

 triangular processes on the ventral side, dividing that half of the rim into three equal 

 spaces. The processes curve slightly outwards ; and, at the rim, their bases unite, so 

 as to give that edge of the cup a semi-hexagonal appearance. In the middle of the 

 dorsal side of the rim rises a large triangular knobbed lobe, bearing on each side a short 

 recurved knobbed process. All seven knobs carry pencils of long radiating sets. A 

 true ciliary wreath at the bottom of the trochal cup, and two red eyes, can be easily 

 seen. This remarkable Rotiferon, the only seven-lobed species, was found by Mr. Thos. 

 Bolton in September 1882, near Birmingham. 



Length, -^ to ^ inch. 3 Habitat. Lakes and clear ponds. Birmingham (T.B. 4 ); 

 Perth (J.H., 4 and W. Dingwall) : not common. 



F. CORONETTA, Cubltt. 



(PL I. fig. 5 ; PL II. fig. 2.) 



Floscularia coronetta . . . Cubitt, Mon. Micr. J. vol. ii. 18G9, p. 133, pi. xxv. 

 Stephanoceros Horatii . , . Cubitt, Mon. Micr. J, vol. vi. 1871, p. 106. 

 Floscularia longilobata . . . Bartsch, Eot. Hungarian, 1877, p. 24, ii. Tab. fig. 11. 



1 Mr. Gosse (loc. cit. p. 487) described some probably male eggs in M. ringcns. 



2 Mon. Micr. J. vol. xiii. 1875, p. 45. 



3 As the Rotifera vary from ^ to ~ s inch, no attempt has been made to draw them to a fixed scale. 

 The actual length of each species will be given at the end of its description. 



4 Throughout the work the following initials will be used in the Habitat : J. H. = Mr. John Hood ; 

 T. B. = Mr. Thos. Bolton ; P. H, G. Mr. Gosse ; C. T. H. = Dr. Hudson. 



F 



