RATTULID^E. C5 



R. TIGRIS, Mutter. 

 (PL XX, fig. 18.) 

 Notommata tigris . , Ehrenberg, Die In/us. 1838, p. 431, pi, liii. fig. 1. 



[SP. CH. Body subcylindric, largest in front; foot thick; toes two, stylate, long ; 

 sub-styles two pairs, very short ; brain clear. 



The lorica, though subcylindric, a tube open at both ends, and bent, is wider in 

 front, where a great thick head is protruded, which is invested in an inflexible shelly 

 coat, running off both frontally and mentally into hard sharp points. The face between 

 bears rotatory cilia set on minute eminences. Ehrenberg says " the outer skin appears 

 somewhat firm " ; and I have met with the empty dead shell, as evidently chitinous as 

 that of an Euchlanis. The whole animal is rounded, not only as a tube is round, but 

 the outline of the back is the segment of a circle, a form which is unchanged with all 

 the animal's motions. The foot appears to consist of one or two thick joints, and carries, 

 besides the two toes, which are long taper styles, evenly decurved, sub- styles one on each 

 side of each toe (fig. 186), usually close appressed and minute. In death the toes are bent 

 up under the belly ; but in life they are usually carried straight behind, quite parallel, 

 or often thrown upward, without, however, changing the downward curvature of their 

 points. The ample mastax (fig. 13a) is pear-shaped : the mallei straight, unequally de- 

 veloped. The large brain carries a clear pale-red wart-like eye, on its point. The 

 stomach is usually full of dark-brown food, coarsely granular. 



Some points in Herr Eckstein's description of Diurella tigris make me doubtful 

 whether his species and mine are identical. Mine I have had repeated opportunities of 

 studying, both alive and dead. P.H.Gr.] 



Length, y^y inch, of which the toes are ^ inch. Habitat. Sandhurst, Berks ; 

 Woolston, Hants : rare (P.H.G.). 



B. HELMINTHODES, GoSSB, Sp. nOV. 



(PI. XX. fig. 17.) 



[SP. CH. Body very slender, especially in front, the width less than one-fifth of the 

 length ; toes without accessory styles at the base ; brain clear. 



This obscure species approaches near to R. tigris in form, and also in the slender- 

 ness and comparative length of the toes. It is, however, much more elongated (even 

 when all allowance is made for the protrusion of the parts in death) ; and the anterior 

 half is the slenderer, whereas in tigris it is the thicker. The lorica, if I am not mis- 

 taken, has a long IOAV dorsal ridge, beginning insensibly near the mid-length, and end- 

 ing abruptly in an oblique angle (fig. 17) just above the foot. The short, stout, bulbous 

 foot carries two long furcate toes, which are simple styles, very slender, tapering to fine 

 points, decurved, closely resembling those of R. tigris. Yet I was not able to separate 

 any accessory styles at the base of each, such as are seen in that species. Something 

 was there ; if styles, very short and close appressed, but it seemed ratljer a swelling of 

 the basal part of each toe. It was only a dead lorica that came under my observation ; 

 from which the head-mass was extruded by decomposition, as an amorphous turbid 

 cloud. Yet the mastax and its jaws of the normal form were still distinct, and the 

 stomach and ovary were scarcely changed. I could not satisfactorily define a contractile 

 vesicle, nor branchial tubes. The toes were turned up close to the belly. 



The lorica occurred in a tube sent me at the beginning of November 1885, by Mr. 

 Bolton, of water from Blackroot Pool, near Birmingham, in which Asplancha priodonta 

 had swarmed, all now dead. P.H.G.] 



Length. To tips of toes, T J inch ; of toes, ^ Tt inch ; width (and depth) of body, 



inch. Habitat. A pool near Birmingham (P.H.G.). 



VOL. II. P 



