460 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Eotifer were obtained from Chesham Eoad Pool on May 26th, 

 1914. They were very prone to burrow amongst the organic 

 and other matter on the slide, but often swam about energetically 

 and turned into all possible positions so as to show the peculiar 

 form of the lorica. This was somewhat oval in dorsal or in 

 ventral view, with a notch at the anterior and another at the 

 posterior end. From this notch extended a jointed foot having 

 a wavy outline and carrying two blade-like toes. The two setas 

 of the foot were not seen. In end view the lorica was not 

 unlike a beech nut, and, as the illumination was varied, the 

 " wings " of the lorica and its upstanding dorsal ridge or plate 

 were seen to be brilliantly transparent and clear. 



38. Proales parasita, Ehren. — This Eotifer is particularly 

 interesting because it is usually found within Volvox globator, 

 the well-known alga, which is one of the most beautiful micro- 

 scopic objects known. Compared with its host, the Eotifer is a 

 dull and unattractive form of life. It is very readily detected 

 within the particular specimen of Volvox in which it happens to 

 reside, its slightly bent cylindrical body of a dull coloration, 

 usually relieved only by a little green patch of food material 

 and a bright red eye-spot, being in marked contrast to the 

 almost perfect geometrical symmetry and the brilliant colouring 

 of its host. 



On only two occasions have I succeeded in finding specimens 

 of P. parasita in the country of the Chess and Gade, although a 

 very large number of specimens of Volvox have been examined 

 from numerous localities, especially the pools of Bedmond, 

 Berkhamsted Common, Chesham Eoad, Cholesbury Common, 

 and Hastoe. 



The largest number of specimens of Volvox so far seen was 

 in water from Bedmond Pool on July 14th, 1914. They were 

 apparently all dead ; in fact, excepting a small Cypris, nothing 

 was found alive in the water, which had a decidedly sickly and 

 unpleasant smell. Usually the water in Bedmond Pool is clear 

 and fairly fresh, but on this occasion there was a quantity of 

 oily and evil-smelling material on the lee side of the pool. 

 Many of the specimens of Volox, and there must have been 

 at least a hundred in every cubic millimetre of water, were 

 examined, but not a single specimen of P. parasita was detected. 



