106 Dr. A. C. Stokes on neio Hypotrichous 



of the body has reached its limit of extension, the pharyngeal 

 tube, containing one end of the long diatom, suddenly and 

 violently rotates forward until its normal position is com- 

 pletely reversed, and the diatom consequently slips out. The 

 act is probably only to a certain extent voluntary, being 

 effectually aided by the strong pressure from the extended 

 cuticular surface, which tends to force the pharyngeal fascicle 

 forward. This pressure is, however, not essential, as the 

 pharyngeal tube is freely movable at the animalcule's will. 

 I have seen it suddenly swing forward to free itself and as 

 quickly swing back into its former and normal position. The 

 latter act is evidently entirely voluntary*. Reproduction is 

 by oblique transverse fission. The animalcule was abun- 

 dant in its habitat. 



Loxodes magnus^ sp. nov. (PI. III. fig. 3.) 



Body elongate, depressed, seven or eight times as long as 

 broad, very soft, flexible, and elastic ; narrowest anteriorly, 

 the frontal border rounded and curved toward the left-hand 

 side, the apical extremity terminating in a short beak -like 

 extension ; posterior extremity rounded ; lateral margins 

 somewhat convex ; ventral surface flattened and longitudinally 

 striate, the dorsal convex j adoral groove occupying about 

 one seventh of the anterior lateral margin of the ventral sur- 

 face, the membranous sickle-shaped lining conspicuous, the 

 posterior portion long and narrow ; refractive corpuscles 

 numerous, arranged in a single longitudinal series near the 

 right-hand lateral border ; nuclei multiple, irregularly distri- 

 buted ; contractile vesicles apparently many and posteriorly 

 located, but not positively identified ; endoplasm vacuolar ; 

 colour brown ; cilia and dorsal hispid setse numerous, short, 

 and fine. Length of extended body ^V inch. 



Hob. Standing pond-water. Movements gliding, with 

 frequent twisting and folding of the body. 



This is readily distinguishable from the two previously 

 recorded species by its great size and by the number of the 

 marginal refringent corpuscles. The nuclei, or those nodules 

 which I have considered to be the nuclei, are much paler in 

 tint than the corpuscles just referred to, larger, and the cen- 

 trally placed nucleolus in each is more finely granulate. A 

 funiculus probably exists, although it was not positively ob- 

 served. The posterior portion of the chitinous pharyngeal 

 membrane often appears to be scarcely more than a brown 

 filament, so narrow is it. Its general course is shown in the 



* See ' The Microscope,' vol. -vi. p. 121. 



