Twelve New Species of Botifera. By P. H. Gosse. 365 



illoricate, but inclosed in integument wliicli seems of leathery stiflfness, 

 making stout, transverse folds, whence the fore and hind parts project at 

 intervals. The head, at extreme protrusion, shows a thread-like frontal 

 proboscis, an ample brain, but no eye, and troj)hi which appear slight 

 and very simple, but need further examination. The toes, long and 

 slender, have that backward direction which is seen in many Biglen^, 

 yet have a forward curve. The internal organs are nearly lost in an 

 indistinguishable granulation. 



Its generic affinities are very doubtful. It is not improbable that a 

 more matured acquaintance may elevate this strange form to the rank of 

 a genus. In any case it is a notable addition to our marine Eotifera. 



(Fig- S-) . 



9. Biglena smlla. Body cylindric, or fusiform, massive, often 



gibbous in the middle : face broad, sub-prone, with small, tubercular 

 frontal proboscis : eye large, cervical : foot thick, short : toes minute, 

 decurved. Length 1/200 in. Marine. 



This thick-bodied, plump, snouted, swine-like creature occurred in 

 a number of examples, among conferva much crowded with groups of 

 diatoms, in sea-water from Invergowrie. The body rises into successive 

 swelhngs, divided by sharp constrictions, like that of a full-fed caterpillar, 

 diminishing abruptly to an oblique thick head, with a distinct round 

 pimple in front, in which is a very minute refractive corpuscle, like a 

 glass bead. This, however, is probably not an eye, the true eye being 

 large and conspicuous, near the tip of an ample brain. The front is 

 truncate, but appears semi-prone, from the inclination of the head; it 

 is ciliated on its whole surface, the cilia surrounding the globose pro- 

 boscis, not covering it. The jaws (o p) are of the same form as in other 

 BigJenm, as ijermollis; viewed laterally, they are produced into a long 

 point, which is often deliberately projected (n) and retracted. Young 

 specimens lack the plumpness of adults, especially in the hinder parts. 

 The stomach is of great size, usually gorged with green granular food. 

 The animal, in habit, is very sluggish. (Fig. 9.) 



10. Noiommata pofamis. Of large size, sub-cylindric, gradually 

 tapering to the foot : brain clear, obscurely three-lobed ; head broad, with 

 conspicuous ohlique auricles : trunk strongly fluted ; foot long : toes short, 

 pointed. Length 1/90 in. Lacustrine. 



Having much in common with N. naias, both in general form and in 

 details, this presents characters which appear to mark it as specifically 

 distinct. In more than a dozen examples which I have examined, alive 

 and dead, from Woolston Pond and other waters, these distinctive features 

 were seen. The auricles are large and strongly marked, extruded freely, 

 and so remaining even in death, having the form, not of Jiemisplieres, but 

 of short truncate columns, thrust out obliquely, so as to make the whole 

 head obconic. A great clear brain shows a tendency to triplicity ; the 

 middle sac bears a conspicuous red eye on its inner surface, above its 

 swelling. The whole body is fluted strongly, about twelve deep in- 

 cisions running longitudinally throughout, so that a transverse section 

 would show so many rounded elevations {q). The stomach has a pair of 

 minute ovate glands, is very large and saccate, with a distinct intestine. 

 The last joint of the trunk forms a globose saccate sort of tail, over 



