Miscellaneous. 97 



On Haptophrya gigantea, a new Opalinid from the Intestines of the 

 Anurous Batrachia of Algeria. By M. E. Maupas. 



The intestines of the Batrachians harbour a whole world of pa- 

 rasites, which live in them and multiply with a truly surprising 

 abundance. Micrographers especially may get from them the finest 

 harvests of Infusoria and Bacterians. From this point of view I 

 have often examined the contents of the intestine of Bufo pantherinus, 

 Discoglossus pictus, and Rana esculenta, which live in' the waters of 

 the neighbourhood of Algiers. I have always found them richly 

 populated, and have been able to recognize the following species — 

 Nyctotherus cordiformis, Balantidium elongatum, B. entozoon, Opalina 

 dimidiata, 0. intestinalis, 0. obtrigona, and 0. ranarum. Swarming 

 among these large ciliated Infusoria were myriads of Bodos, Monads, 

 Amcebas, Bacilli, Vibrios, and Bacteria. All these species have 

 already been recognized in Europe ; but I have also very often met, 

 in the intestine of the Bufo and the Discoglossus, less frequently 

 in the frog, with a very fine species of Opalinid, which does not 

 appear to me to have been described, and which, from several very 

 curious details of its organization, must greatly interest proto- 

 zoologists. 



This Opalinid may be regarded as the giant of the Infusoria ; for 

 I have measured individuals the length of which exceeded 1 milli- 

 metre. The body is of a very elongate cylindro-conical form, tapering 

 from the front backwards. The anterior extremity is pretty strongly 

 depressed, and nearly twice the breadth of the posterior region, which 

 measures from yf^ to poSlT millim. This depressed portion is 

 occupied by a circular sucking-disk formed by the retreat inwards of 

 the wall of one of the broader surfaces, which may be called the 

 ventral surface. The action of the sucker is ensured by cords of 

 sarcode which start from its inner wall and attach themselves to the 

 opposite dorsal wall. The concavity caused by the traction of these 

 cords is, of course, very slight, but it is nevertheless clearly visible 

 by the microscope. The animalcule attaches itself to objects by 

 means of this sucker. The surface of the body is very closely 

 covered with rows of cilia. Four or five rows may be counted in 

 y-ljj millim. ; and in the cavity of the sucker they are half as numerous 

 again. The cilia, the length of which is 1 5 6 millim., are very close 

 together, about 13 or 14 in each y^j millim. These cilia are the 

 sole organs of locomotion of this Infusorium, the progress of which 

 is never very rapid. 



The integument or ectosarc has a thickness of jffio millim. and 

 consists of two very distinct layers — an external one, in which the 

 continuation of the cilia may be traced in the form of bacilli, and an 

 internal one composed of transparent and absolutely amorphous 

 sarcode. This integument is entirely destituto of proper contractility, 

 so that the animalcule cannot in any way spontaneously modify its 

 form ; on the other hand, its possesses great elasticity, which enables 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. iv. 7 



