PHILODINAD.E. 101 



ventrieose, and marked more distinctly with oblique ridges. The period of the con- 

 tractile vesicle is about sixteen seconds. 



It is lively and sprightly. It breeds freely in captivity ; in a phial it congregates at 

 the very margin of the water ; if they are numerous, a glance along the water line with 

 a lens gives a pleasing sight ; it reveals a whole array of the tiny creatures hanging head- 

 downward, in the ridge of water produced by the attraction of cohesion, their amber-liko 

 bodies of various sizes, and their broad white crown-wheels all in full play. They do 

 certainly appear to have the instinct of companionship, as Ehrenberg has observed of 

 another species. 



Length, T ^ F inch to ^ inch. Habitat. Widely scattered, but by no means common. 

 Near London ; Widcombe Pond, Bath ; Tenby (P.H.G.).— P.H.G.] 



P. megaloteocha, Ehrenberg. 

 (PI. IX. fig. 7.) 



Philodina megalotroclva . . Ehrenberg, Die Infos. 1838, p. 501, Taf. lxi. fig. 10. 



„ ,, . . Pritohard, Infusoria, 1861, p. 705. 



[SP. CH. Body smooth, with no constriction nor sioelling at the neck ; corona very 

 wide, with no conspicuous sulcus; antenna three-jointed, unisetate, decurved ; eyes 

 large, roundish ; teeth two ; foot slender, abrupt. Hyaline. 



The great width of the expanded corona, and the size of the frontal column and 

 antenna, are very noticeable in this species ; as also the plumpness of the body, and its 

 sudden attenuation to form the foot, whence its appearance is somewhat like that of 

 Botifer macrurus. The spurs are small and the toes short, thick, and truncately conical. 

 The mastax is set more transversely than usual, so as not to be made out in a longitu- 

 dinal aspect. Two teeth cross each ramus. In certain lights there seem to be three ; 

 but a true adjustment with a power of 300 reveals the projecting points, and shows them 

 to be distinctly two. There is a wide sub-cylindrical stomach with a tubular passage, 

 followed by a short and somewhat transverse intestine. This latter discharges, through 

 a narrow but distinct rectum, beneath the second telescopic joint of the foot. Traces of 

 small globose gastric glands are seen beneath the mastax. A small contractile vesicle 

 lies in front of the rectum. No other portion of the vascular system has been recorded. 

 The ovary is large with many clear nuclei. The antenna appears to have only one 

 terminal seta. 



Length. About -^ inch. Habitat. Ponds, ditches, &c. : not uncommon. — P.II.G.] 



P. aculeata, Ehrenberg. 

 (PL IX. fig. 5.) 

 Philodina aculeata . . . Ehrenberg, Die Infus. 1838, p. 501, Taf. lxi. fig. 9. 

 „ „ ... Dujardin, Hist. Nat. Zooph. 1811, p. 000. 



„ „ ... Eckstein, Sieb. u. Roll. Zcits. Bd. xxxix. 1883, p. 352, 



Taf. xxiv. fig. 15. 



[SP. CH. Body beset with spines, having no constriction nor sioelling at the neck ; 

 corona not so wide as the body ; antenna two, long-jointed, mobile ; eyes large, nearly 

 round ; teeth three ; foot thick, gradual. Dark brown. 



This species is easily recognised by the spines which have given it a name ; but I 

 cannot find these appendages nearly so numerous as in Ehrenberg's figures. 1 Nor are 

 they scattered irregularly over the body, but are arranged in rows on the dorsal aspect. 

 The first row consists of three spines ; the next two rows have two each, and are placed 



1 Ehrenberg draws as many as twenty-seven spines, irregularly placed, on the dorsal surface. 

 Dujardin (apparently following Ehrenberg's description) says that the body is ' tout herisse d'fipines 

 molles.' Herr Eckstein's description and figure, however, exactly tally with those of Mr. Gosse, only 

 the two spines, which in Mr. Gosse's figures (56, 5d) of the contracted animal point forwards, arc 

 drawn pointing backwards in Herr Eckstein's figure of the uncontracted animal. Very likely the 

 direction of the spines is liable to be reversed by the creature's contortions. — C. T. H. 



