SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



3 1 



Hudson and Gosse's work is that the border of 

 the foot-opening is always prolonged into a shelly 

 sheath of some size with a square notch on the 

 dorsal side of it. 



Brachionus obesus, sp. n. (Figs. 9 and 10). Diagno- 

 sis : Lorica sub-quadrate, smooth ; posterior end 

 prolonged into two short pointed processes ; 

 occipital margin with six spines, the median pair 

 the largest and curved outwards ; mental edge 

 undulate, projecting forward, with sub-square 

 sulcus in middle. 



The lorica of this animal resembles so much that 

 of B. brcvispinus, on the one hand, and B. rhenanus, 

 on the other, that the three might be considered to 

 form a series in the variation of the same species ; 

 their close affinity to B. bakeri, as mentioned above, 

 is unmistakable. The shape of the mental margin, 

 however, is peculiar. Size of lorica : length y^j" to 



tV'. width iio" to ih"- 



Brachionus pyriformis, sp. n. (Figs. 11 and 12). 

 Diagnosis : lorica pear-shaped, smooth ; occipital 

 margin with six straight spines, the central pair 

 the largest ; mental edge undulate ; lorica rounded, 

 without spines posteriorly. 



This appears to be a well-characterized new 

 species. Size : length of lorica xks'^ width xhs"> 

 length of foot r J^". 



Brachionus bursarius, sp. n. (Figs. 6 and 7). 

 Diagnosis ; Lorica elipsiform, smooth, posterior 

 end rounded, without spines ; occipital margin 

 with six spines, the median and external pairs of 

 equal size, the intermediate pair smaller, the 

 external pair sometimes, but not always, bifid at 

 extremity ; mental margin with two low broad 

 lobes, divided by a sulcus in the middle. 



This animal resembles B. urceolaris, but has some 

 peculiarities which may entitle it to specific rank. 

 Dr. Barrois says that the lateral spines are often 

 bifid at the point, but not always, so not even that 

 unusual character can be depended upon. Size : 

 length jj/, width ^". 



Brochionus caudatus, sp. n. (Fig. 15). Lorica shield- 

 shaped and stippled ; occipital margin with two 

 short pointed median spines with deep sulcus 

 between them, mental margin undulate with broad 

 sinus in the middle. Posterior end of lorica 

 broadened and furnished with two long spines ; foot 

 very long, furnished with two small toes. 



The form of the lorica of this evidently new 

 species greatly resembles that of Schizocerca 

 diversicornis of Daday, except that the large anterior 

 marginal spines are quite absent. The posterior 

 spines are said to be slightly divergent and recurved. 

 The structure of the foot is not mentioned in the 

 text, but is represented in one of the figures like 

 that of an ordinary Brachionus, very stout and of 

 great length with two small toes at the end. In 

 Schizocerca the foot is forked at the extremity. 

 Size : length of lorica xh^"< width 7^". 



It will be seen that only three or four of the 

 rotifers described as new by Drs. Barrois and von 

 Daday can properly be included in the list, the 

 remainder being either known already or quite 

 unrecognisable from their figures and descriptions. 



Hexarthra polyptcra (Schmarda) and Pedalion 

 mirum (Hudson). A word also on these two 

 rotifers which Dr. Daday continues to confound, 

 although his error has long ago been pointed out 

 by Dr. Hudson. Hexarthra polyptcra, discovered by 

 Dr. Schmarda in Egypt, in 1853, and not seen 

 since, is a heart-shaped rotifer with six limbs all 

 on the ventral surface, radiating from a common 

 centre exactly like the limbs of a Cyclops larva. 

 Pedalion mirum, first found by Dr. C. T. Hudson, 

 at Clifton, in 1871, on the other hand, is a conical 

 rotifer with six limbs disposed all round the body, 

 one dorsal, one ventral, and two pairs on the sides, 

 and all six directed backwards. It is difficult to 

 imagine how anyone can confound two creatures so 

 different as these in structure, and Dr. Daday must 

 therefore not be surprised if no student of the 

 rotifera, either here or on the Continent, follows 

 him in this identification. 



Drs. Barrois and von Daday's paper has also 

 been published, with some slight additions, in 

 Hungarian, in " Mathematikai es Termeszettu- 

 domanyi Ertesito," xii., 1891, 1 plate. 



27, Great Castle Street, Regent Sheet, 

 London, W- ; March, 18J5. 



DOUBLE FRUIT OF CITRUS 

 AURANTIUM. 



T RECENTLY purchased some oranges of the 

 *■ variety with blood-red pulp, and one proved to 

 be a monstrosity, or, if I may so term it, a double 

 orange. On opening this fruit it turned out that the 



Doublk Fruit of Citrus Aurantium. 



"outer" specimen contained an inner one, almost 

 perfectly formed, as shown in the bisectional draw- 

 ing I send you. The inner specimen possessed no 

 peel, neither had it any pips or seeds. 



C. H. Crouch 



21, Cassland Crescent, South Hackney : 

 March 13M, 1895. 



C 2 



