146 CLASS CRUSTACEA. 



have collected great numbers of them on a warm day in 

 the latter month, with a small cloth net, immersing it 

 about an inch below the surface. They are mostly 

 colourless in ponds covered v.'ith herbage, but in small 

 collections of rain water, on a loamy soil, are of a fine 

 rich colour. 



" The body of this creature is covered with crustaceous 

 or shelly plates, which overlap each other, and admit 

 both of a lateral and vertical motion between them. 

 Their ends do not meet on the side, but have suffi- 

 cient space between them for the insertion and play 

 of the organs of respiration. The rostrum, or beak, is 

 short and pointed : it is a prolongation of the first seg- 

 ment which forms the head. A little above the beak, 

 a single eye is imbedded beneath the shell, of a dark 

 crimson colour, nearly approaching to blackness. The 

 true form of this organ it is difficult to determine. Mr. 

 Baker gives it the shape of two kidney-beans placed 

 parallel to each other, and united at their lowest extre- 

 mities. When viewed laterally, it appears round, while 

 in some other positions it is square." 



The eggs are curiously placed in tvv'o bags, presenting 

 an appearance similar to clusters of grapes, and of con- 

 siderable magnitude, compared with the size of the 

 animal. These egg-bags are seen in the engraving, 

 (which represents a female,) projecting from each side 

 of the hinder portion of the shell. The centre of each 

 egg is of a deep opaque colour, which in some specimens 

 is green, in others red. 



The young of the Cyclops, when first excluded from 

 the egg, are extremely minute, and sodifl'erent from the 

 mother, that Miiller has described them as forming two 

 distinct genera. 



