Entomostraca from Gihon. 217 



ENTOMOSTRACA FROM GIHON. 



BY THE EEV. CHARLES H. MIDDLETON, B.A. 



I intended to have sent you a paper on certain Entomostraca 

 from the pool of Gihon, but I find that the little creatures have 

 been so thoroughly described by Dr. Baird that I can say 

 nothing that has not been said before, and said much better. 

 See Natural History Review, 3rd series, vols. iv. and viii. 

 Still this short notice may prove interesting. 



A quantity of dried mud from the upper pool of Gihon was 

 sent to England by a friend of mine, Edward Atkinson, Esq., 

 then attached as surgeon to the British Consulate at Jerusalem. 

 It was addressed to Mr. Henry Denny, of Leeds ; this was in 

 the year 1858. The following year Mr. Denny sent a part of 

 it to Dr. Baird, putting what remained into an aquarium, which 

 he placed where it should receive as much sunlight as possible. 

 Dr. Baird did the same with the mud sent to him, putting it into 

 water on June 3rd. By June 10th many living creatures had 

 appeared from the ova contained in the mud, and the articles I 

 refer to in the Natural History Review contain full descriptions. 

 A fresh parcel of mud from the same pool has since been re- 

 ceived at the Philosophical Hall, Leeds, and the whole has for 

 two years lain dry. This year, 1863, it has been placed in water, 

 and has given birth to living creatures which, on reference to Dr. 

 Baird' s descriptions, I find to be identical with the species he 

 has named, and with them grows a beautiful Chara. Thanks to 

 the kindness of Mr. Denny, I have had full opportunities for 

 examining the little beauties. Their season is now over; the 

 mud will again be dried, and again next year be watered, 

 when it is hoped the same interesting result will follow. 

 Foremost among the living creatures produced is — 



Branchipus eximiis. I have examined one male, two 

 females. They bear a close resemblance to the British species, 

 Cheirocephalus diaphanus, described in Dr. Baird's work on 

 Entomostraca in the Royal Society's publications. B. eximiis 

 does not attain the size of Cheirocephalus, being barely fths of 

 an inch in length. The elegant movements of the little crea- 

 ture, the constant waving motion of the branchiee, and the 

 bright dark eyes, in contrast fco the transparent body and bright 

 red of the intestinal canal, make this one of the most beautiful 

 species of the class. 



Estheria Gihoni. -|ths of an inch in longest diameter. The 

 brilliant red body, active movements, and. transparent shell 

 made this well worth seeing. 



Daphnia Atkinsoni, Cypris Oeltica, Cypris Orientalis, and 



