610 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



some which had been sent to him in spirit. On first seeing them he 

 thought they were Ebheshornii, but the posterior end was more pointed, 

 and the male had only two lateral humps, and not two under the neck 

 as Ehbeshornii. In many respects Asplanchna was very perplexing and 

 it seemed as if the males varied at different periods. He called atten- 

 tion to some rotifers exhibited by Mr. Eousselet with exceptionally good 

 dark-ground illumination and inquired how it was obtained. 



Mr. Eousselet said it was done with Abbe's ordinary condenser. 



Mr. Crisp read a letter with reference to some lithographic drawings 

 of microscopical objects made by a young lady. Miss C. B. H. Abrahall. 

 The prints were handed round for inspection and were much approved. 



Prof. S. P. Thompson's paper, " Note on Polarizing Apparatus for 

 the Microscope " was read (post). 



Surgeon V. Gimson Thorpe, R.N., read his paper, " Description of a 

 new species of Megalotrocha" from Brisbane (post). 



The President felt sure that the Fellows of the Society would be 

 very much indebted to Surgeon Gunson Thorpe for bringing this subject 

 before them. He had himself had the pleasure of corresponding with 

 him upon these matters, and had been much struck by his power of 

 observation and the skill which he had displayed in drawing what he 

 had seen. The animal which had been described was not only new, but 

 was remarkable in many points. It was found to be a swimming 

 creature, but he doubted whether it was permanently so, because he 

 thought the size seemed to indicate that it was a young form, and he 

 had seen instances where a number of them, though quite free, would 

 turn their tails together and form a cluster very much like Conochilus. 

 He had never seen so large a cluster as seventy, described by Mr. 

 Thorpe. 



Mr. Thorpe said he had found one species which was much larger. 



The President thought that the two animals differed in one or two 

 points — first, in Megalotrocha, the squarish form of the corona was 

 peculiar and as distinct as that of Melicerta tubicolaria ; then the two 

 knobs were not found in the same place, the eyes were also remarkable, 

 and the trifid stem was also curious, like a club with three knobs. In 

 alho-flavicans there was seen a remarkable habit of all the members of 

 a group sweeping down together just as if a wave passed along them ; in 

 that motion the whole of the foot took part. It had also been noticed 

 that when contracted the knobs or warts were always found at the top 

 of the contracted part — that might be the use of them, so that they 

 might protect from injury, something in the same way as the bosses 

 upon a trunk. Unfortunately all these points were lost in the slide 

 which Mr. Thorpe had brought with him, showing how necessary it was 

 to see these things alive if they wished properly to understand them. 

 There was also a slide exhibited in the room of Lacinularia pedunculata, 

 showing the long stem very plainly. He had with him some small 

 tubes containing specimens of this creature for distribution to those 

 Fellows of the Society who were interested in the study. 



