65 253 



Leibeshöhle wird von dem Hoden eingenonuiicn, der sich nach hinten in einen fliniinernden 

 Ausführgang fortsetzt. Neben dem Sperma, dessen feinere Striictur bei der Kleinlieil des Ob- 

 jectes niclit zu ermitteln war, Hessen sich deutlich die unbeweglichen, schmalspindelförmigen 

 Stäbchen erkennen... Der dem Hoden aufgelagerte rudimentäre Darm wies constant einige 

 Fetttropfen auf. An dem ausleitenden Kanal des Spermasackes liegt eine Prostata äiinliche 

 Drüse. Wassergefässsj'stem und Sinnesborsten vermochte ich nicht aul'zulinden. Grösze 11,". 



Description. Body almost globular, more or less accuminated behind, very 

 variable in form, often when swimming with a globular forepart, sharply set off 

 from a more acuminated cylindrical hindpart. No thorns, foot or toes. The wheel- 

 organ seen from above, a cilia-covered cup with some stronger cilia laterally; from 

 beneath a triangular space, dorsally carrying a series of long cilia, ventrally with a 

 wreath of cilia, following the borders of the triangular space. In the middle of that 

 a few faintly protruding hills carrying on their tops a bunch of cilia. I have been 

 unable to confirm Plate's description, of the bod}'; conspicuous dorsal and ventral 

 sides, separated from each other by means of lateral planes "Seitenfläche", I have 

 never seen. 'Sly conception is much more in accordance with the verj' small figures 

 which Gosse has given of the male. Near the anterior border below the wheel-organ 

 are seen some hypodermal cells with conspicuous nuclei; I have been unable to 

 detect a brain; ej'e and antennæ, dorsal as well as lateral antennæ seem to be absent. 

 Most probably there exist two longitudinal muscles to withdraw the wheel-organ, 

 but I have not ventured to draw them. The whole of the interior is filled by an 

 enormous testis, almost reaching the wheel-organ and provided with two sorts of 

 spermatozoa; laterally the testis is surrounded by two prostata glands, the size of 

 which differs very much individually. At the posterior border there is a rather large 

 opening, surrounded by a wreath of rather long cilia; it is the opening for the testis; 

 as far as I can see, there is no real penis, but during copulation, and when the 

 male whirls round the body of the female, the whole body as shown in fig. 4, is 

 attenuated behind; in a peculiar amoeboid manner it is now drawn out into a cj'- 

 lindrical part which functions as penis. The testis is then pressed downwards and 

 shows a similar prolongation to the body itself. A penis tube, ciliated on its interior 

 walls, I have been unable to observe. Every sign of an ahmentary canal and of 

 excretory organs seems to be wholly lacking. The testis and prostata glands are sur- 

 rounded bj' a greyish mass, in which are inbedded numerous often very large oil 

 globules. The males swim with an almost incredible speed, and owing to their 

 extremely small size, they are difficult to isolate and draw liy means of camera. 



Asplanchnadæ. 



Closely allied to the Notommatidæ through the two genera Eosphora and 

 Triphyliis the family comprises the three genera Harringia (= Dinops), Asplanchnopns 

 and Asplanchna. The first-named genus has become best known through the excellent 

 studies of de Beauchamp (1912 a, p. 223) and he being the first to show the connec- 

 tion with the Notommatidæ through the genera Eosphora and Triphiiliis (see especially 



D. K. D.Vidensk, Selsk. Skr., nalurv. ogmathem. AW.. 8. RjvliUc. IV, 3. 34 



