134 



aquatic ILitc 



Ehrenberg classed them as "Infusoria," 

 but that was a century ago, when the uni- 

 cellular animals, the Protozoa, were not 

 definitely understood. Similar looking 

 creatures were grouped together, and as 

 one-celled ciliated infusoria frequently re- 

 call many rotifers in appearance, all were 

 promptly put together as of one ralation- 



with certain larval forms of the Trocho- 

 phora type. In them the cilia are at first 

 much developed, but in the end are re- 

 stricted to certain localities of the body, 

 one of which appears constant about the 

 mouth. Hence the conclusion that our 

 wheel animalcules are exceedingly primi- 

 tive forms, with close relations to the pro- 



Sonnet to A Goldfish' 

 MART BURDITT 



Epitome of all the art of Asia, 



Slow waving tins of black and silver sheen. 



And gold-rimmed eyes a-staring mid the green; 



A wealth of grace and beauty without measure, 



A living, moving, Oriental treasure. 



A surfeit to mine eyes, a happy mesne 



Betwixt the Hare of life and death's dull screen, 



O, mute, mysterious object of my pleasure! 



Thy scales, g'lt-edged — a sparkling coat of mail. 



Thy satiu browns inlaid witli burnished crescents. 



Thou fragile, glistening, sheeny, languid tiling. 



With scarlet gills and gently flowing tail; 



Pose on. small fish, in shimmering golden essence, 



Joy to mine eye, rest to my spirit bring. 



1 



ship. Today the rotifers are classed near 

 the worms, that great class or group of 

 animals which still serves as a catch-all 

 for the zoologist. Here is placed every- 

 thing which cannot be definitely associ- 

 ated elsewhere. We know that these ani- 

 mals are many-celled and highly organ- 

 ized, and offer as an excuse for their po- 

 sition among the w'irms their affinities 



genitors of the phylum or genealogical 

 tree of the Vermes (worms). 



The rotifers have a motile dental ap- 

 paratus, a stomach of many cells, an in- 

 testine, salivary and renal glands, brain, 

 nerves and red eyes. The microscope 



*The specimen illustrated, a Feather-tail or 

 Japanese Nymph Goldfish, was bred in Aus- 

 tralia by Albert Gale, Esq. 



