[Proc. Rot. Soc. Victoria 34 (N.S.), Pt. II., 1922.] 



Art. XI. — The Rotifera of Australia ai\d their Dlstrihution. 



By J. SHEPHARD. 



[Read 8th September, 1921.] 



Investigation into the Rotiferon Fauna of Australia has so far 

 been carried on by but few observers, but at widely separated! 

 points. The neighbourhood of Melbourne has probably received 

 most attention. About Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide collecting 

 has been done, and outside these capitals scattered districts in 

 Victoria and New South Wales have been worked, the most 

 remote contribution being a colonial form obtained by Sir Bald- 

 win Spencer when with the Home Expedition to Central Aus- 

 tralia. 



It is quite true that the number of species of rotifers attributed 

 to any country are so far proportionate to the amount of search 

 that has gone on. It appears that much more work should be 

 done before a full comparison can be made with the rotiferon 

 fauna of other countries. 



The time when an extensive investigation into this group of 

 animals will be completed appears so remote that it may be useful 

 to report progress in the hope that further enquiry may be stimu- 

 lated. Adhesion to the classification of Hudson and Gosse, as 

 the generally accepted one up to the present, seems desirable in 

 spite of a recent proposed alteration. It may be well to point 

 out that a departure from this system and of the accompanying 

 understanding not to go back beyond Ehrenberg in the search 

 for priority, will certainly retard work in this group in the 

 outlying parts of the world, although such course may be in 

 accordance with a strict interpretation of the rules relating to 

 priority of names. 



The records which may be regarded as reliable give a result 

 in numbers as follows : — 



Rhizota 39 species of 9 genera. 



Bdelloida 54 „ „ 16 



Ploima — 



Fam. Illoricata 57 „ „ 17 „ 



„ Loricata 79 „ „ 19 



Scirtopoda 1 „ „ 1 genus. 



In all there are 230 species. 



