432 Miscellaneous. 



sought in the genera SpirocJiona and Styhchona. As in the latter 

 Infusoria the anterior extremity of the body is widened in the form 

 of a funnel and beset within with numerous cilia which whirl in 

 the food. The animal may bear the name given in the title, as its 

 head-funnel is characterized by a sun-like border of thin rigid bacilli 

 issuing from its margiu. 



Heliochona sessiUs has the form of a flask of which the neck 

 passes into the above-mentioned funnel. However, the transverse 

 section both of the belly of the flask and of the funnel is not round, 

 but oval, so that we can distinguish two narrow and two broad 

 sides. With the lower transversely truncated pole of the body 

 the Infusorian attaches itself to the branchial plate, and, indeed, 

 generally to the surface rather than to the periphery. The length 

 from the base to the beginning of the neck is about 0'034 millim., and 

 from this to the margin of the funnel 0*02 millim. The transverse 

 axis of the Heliochona seen from the broad side measures about 

 0-025 millim., while that of the narrow side is only 0-007 millim. 

 in length. The body is covered throughout with a thin cuticle, 

 which is particularly delicate at the point of attachment. 



The only thing of some interest in this Infusorian is the funnel. 

 One of the broad sides of it (which may be described as the back) is 

 produced into two symmetrically placed lobes, which are bent over 

 inwards and partially cover up the cavity of the funnel. Further, 

 the whole margin of the funnel is furnished with a great number of 

 rigid bacilli, which stand nearly at equal distances apart, and may 

 be traced down, as faint ridges, for a short distance in the wall of 

 the funnel. In some individuals I ascertained that some of these 

 bacilli — about every fourth one — were twice as long as those stand- 

 ing between them ; in others no such distinction could be recog- 

 nized. The radii starting from the margin of the funnel are 

 wanting only on the small space between the two overhanging lobes 

 of the cup ; on the latter, however, they are present and cause the 

 access to the cavity of the funnel to be partly blocked. Only the 

 smaller food-particles whirled by can pass the lattice-work formed 

 by these bacilli and reach the short oesophagus situated at the bottom 

 of the funnel, and in this circumstance evidently lies the advantage 

 of the arrangement. 



In the cell-plasma a rounded, finely granular nucleus is easily 

 observed, but I have seen nothing of a paranucleus. Keproduction 

 takes i:>lace, as in SpirocJiona gemmipara, by buds, which are con- 

 stricted off at a particular spot on the ventral surface, at the base 

 of the neck. The further details of this process I have been unable 

 to trace from want of material. — Zoologische Juhrhucher, Abtheil. 

 fur Anat. und Oatogenie, Baud iii. p. 172, 



