FAUNA OF THE CHESS AND GADE. 457 



two small toes, which were never seen separated. When seen 

 in side view, the Eotifer was very unsymmetrical, mainly because 

 of the dorsal position of the forwardly extending proboscis. Two 

 bright red eye-spots near the end of the proboscis were very 

 conspicuous objects. 



The movements of these Eotifers were usually clumsy. Some- 

 times they swam forwards moderately quickly, occasionally turn- 

 ing and doubling, but more frequently they remained anchored to 

 the slide, at the same time twisting and turning into all kinds 

 of irregular forms. This was especially noticeable when the 

 lateral parts of the corona — called above " the shoulders " — 

 were drawn towards each other, a movement considered to be 

 due to the efforts of the Eotifer to swallow an unusually large 

 food particle. 



32. Diglena biraphis, Gosse. — On September 18th, 1913, a 

 few specimens of this Eotifer were taken from Parsonage Farm 

 Pool, Abbot's Langley. The water in the pool was low, and had 

 a pungent smell due to the presence of a large quantity of de- 

 composing vegetable matter. The Eotifers had an elongated 

 body, somewhat spindle-shaped in dorsal view, and a retractile 

 oral part with two eye-spots close together and near the oral 

 end. During examination of the water of the sample bottles 

 under the microscope, they were the first forms of life to attract 

 attention, on account of the large amount of green food-material 

 filling the exceptionally large alimentary canal. The oral parts 

 of the Eotifers were repeatedly protruded and retracted, but 

 during these movements I did not obtain a clear view of the 

 curved pincers of the mastax. The foot was short, stout, and 

 quite flexible, but was never seen more than partially retracted ; 

 it carried two long toes of nearly equal width throughout, which 

 were often seen crossed over each other. Their movements 

 were of a simple kind, and usually consisted in swimming for- 

 wards. The total length of the Eotifers was about T Jy-in. 

 Two specimens of the same species were obtained from Hastoe 

 Pool on May 26th, 1914. They were found in the muddy sedi- 

 ment which remained after the clear water had been poured from 

 the collecting bottle. These specimens swam forwards rather 

 slowly, but were not seen to cross their toes ; in other respects, 

 they behaved exactly like the specimens from Abbot's Langley. 



Zool. 4th set. vol. XV III. , December, 1914. 2 n 



