Giascotr—A List of some of the Rotifera of Ireland. 49 
ally thrust out from the head close to the frontal margin (not 
pedunculated). A long, narrow stomach extends from behind the 
mastax close to the base of the short, blunt tail, and is usually well- 
filled with food of various colours. The ovary is large, spreading 
over the whole of the ventral floor; a large ovum is generally in 
process of development. A contractile vesicle of considerable size 
is situated just above the foot. The whole body of the animal is 
extremely soft and its movements vermiform; it incessantly 
wriggles, twists, contracts, expands, and pushes the wormlike 
head now here, now there. In one instance it contracted the 
lower half of the body, which fell into innumerable folds, sat 
down on the little peg-like toes in an erect position, everted the 
long auricles, and thus remained for a time, then set sail, keeping 
the body in the same contracted state, and kicking out the foot 
now and then to aid progression, which was slow. 
When grubbing for food along the stem of a weed the lower 
end of the body is lifted high above the level, and thus held 
aloft it proceeds upon its way. The colour varies from deep red to 
the palest rose-pink. Length from about ;‘5 to =5> of an inch. 
Habitat.—Frequent among the decaying stems of Calletrichia 
verna, in a pond, Co. Wexford. 
Copeus spicatus, Hudson. 
[The Rotifera, vol. ii. p. 29, Pl. XVI. fig. 2.] . 
A very handsome example, whose interior would have furnished 
a long list of diatoms and desmids of various shapes and colours, 
notably one like two semi-globular green bodies united by a band, 
bristling over with prominent acute spines, an awkward customer 
to swallow, but nothing seems to come amiss to these apparently 
delicate-skinned creatures; their power of accommodation is 
extraordinary. 
Habitat.— A. bog, Co. Wexford. 
N.B.—I have seen some indications that the spines of the 
desmid mentioned above are developed within the walls of a 
transparent gelatinous envelope. 
SCIEN. PROC. R.D.S., VOL. VIII., PART I. E 
