3166 Infusoria. 



there were two of the oval bodies or eggs. After watching them for 

 nearly two hours, 1 set aside the live-box containing them for future 

 examination. 



Sunday, June 1. — I gave a hasty glance at the live-box directly 

 after breakfast. The rotation of the Volvoces had become very fee- 

 ble, in fact had nearly stopped in all except one large globe, which 

 had the good fortune to be without a parasite. The two Notommata 

 were as active as ever, and ciliary motion was distinctly visible through 

 the transparent envelopes of some of the eggs. 



June 2. — The large globe without a parasite had stopped moving 

 like the rest, but four young globes inside of it were very active. 

 The Notommata appeared as nimble as ever, some of the eggs were 

 hatched, and two Notommata were discovered swimming about free, 

 apparently enjoying their liberty. The fluid inside the infested globes 

 looked slightly dirty. 



June 3. — The young Volvoces noticed yesterday had escaped from 

 the parent globe, but only one of them retained any power of motion. 

 The Notommata in the globes were still alive, but languid. No more 

 eggs were hatched. 



June 4. — The Volvoces and parasites were all dead. This was the 

 case in the wine-glass as well as in the live-box. 



The Volvoces kept in the wine-glass with the Mougeotia were alive 

 but sickly on the 2nd of June, and were quite as much infested with 

 the parasite as those in the live-box. While looking over some spe- 

 cimens taken from the wine-glass, a Notommata was seen attached by 

 its tail to the outside of a Volvox ; it soon turned round and forced 

 its way head-foremost into the interior of the globe. I am sorry that 

 at the time I was only searching amongst these specimens with a one- 

 inch object-glass, and can therefore give no better account of the pro- 

 cess ; perhaps it had previously forced its way out, and not liking the 

 appearance of things outside, had determined on returning : however 

 this may be, when a higher power was put on, and the Volvox moved 

 about by carefully turning round the lid of the live-box, I was satis- 

 fied that an opening existed in the membrane of the Volvox, and that 

 the Notommata was actually inside. In one very large Volvox, no 

 fewer than three parasites were found ; in this specimen also there 

 remained only a small mass of green matter, where, under ordinary 

 circumstances, several young globes would have been found. 



In conclusion, I will only make two remarks : — 



1. The large number of parasites observed seems worthy of notice; 



