786 ME. D. J. scouRFiELD ON THE [June 15, 



with earth, so that the samples may probably be considered as 

 fairly typical. 



Before passing to the detailed notes upon the various groups of 

 animals represented in the mosses, a few words on two of the 

 more general results of the examination may not be out of place. 

 First as regards the relative importance of the different groups from 

 the point of view of their abundance. In this connection it may 

 be remarked that although the micro-plaTits were not systematically 

 looked for, one could not help being struck with the compai'ative 

 abundance and variety of the Diatoms, whilst on the other hand 

 the paucity of the Desmids was equally noticeable. The latter 

 were in fact confined to a few individuals of one or two small 

 species of Cosmarium. Of the animals, the dominant groups were 

 undoubtedly the Ehizopoda aud Nematoda, the former being, how- 

 ever, by far tlie most abundant. iNext in order of importance came 

 the Rotifera, Collembola, Infusoria, Chsetopoda, and Tardigrada. 

 The remaining groups, uainely the Gastrotriclia, Acarina, Entomo- 

 straea, and Insect larvse, were only represented by a few solitary 

 specimens here and there. The other result to be mentioned, and 

 the one of most general significance, is that, so far as can be judged 

 from the evidence now collected, the micro-fauna of Spitsbergen 

 includes very few peculiar species. With but two or three excep- 

 tions, the most certain being, moreover, in a group (Tardigrada) 

 which has been much neglected by naturalists, all the forms seen 

 appear to have been previously found in Europe and North 

 America. We have here, therefore, still further evidence of the 

 enormous geographical range of many species of the lower forms 

 of animal life, especially of the fresh-water forms, and of the 

 really remarkable variations in external conditions under which 

 they can not only exist but even thrive. 



Ehizopoda. 



Animals belonging to this class formed a very large proportion 

 of the organisms found in the mosses. As will be seen from the 

 detailed list, about twenty-one species in all were noted, and 

 although some of these cannot be referred to named forms, it is 

 almost certain that none of them are new to science. They are 

 practically the same forms as one could find in damp mosses almost 

 anywhere in England, on the Continent, or in North America. 

 In fact, with the exception of abnormal specimens, almost every 

 individual Ehizopod from these Spitsbergen mosses could be 

 matched by a figure in Leidy's ' Fresh-water Ehizopods of North 

 America' (Washington, 1879). 



One point that deserves mention is the large number of speci- 

 mens seen presenting abnormalities in the shape of the shell. This 

 was especially noticeable with Enrjlypha ciliata, but also occurred 

 in Nehela collaris and other species. It is tempting to refer this 

 back to the influence of the severe climatic conditions under which 

 the animals live in Spitsbergen, but with the exception of two 



