﻿The Life in the Tyler- Davidson Fountain. 



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florae of these two basins were almost totally distinct. The large basin 

 yielded (exclusive of diatoms) but one plant — the Stigeoclonium — and a 

 great variety of animal life; while in the small basin were found all the 

 other species of filamentous Algae, a great variety of diatoms, no specimens 

 of Stigeoclonium and but little animal life and that of a low order. This 

 difference was all the more remarkable as the natural conditions, other 

 than that of bod}- of water, in the two basins, were apparently identical. 



The highest representative of animal life observed was the little Gas- 

 teropod — Physa heterostrophia, Say. This creature, I am sorry to say, has 

 since been exterminated. (I mean in the fountain.) The fountain was 

 cleaned soon after my first collection, and since then I have found none. 

 However, they will soon grow again. In among the Algae were found 

 great numbers of Entomostracans — water fleas — skipping about in every 

 direction. Notable among these, although not very plentiful, were the 

 slender Cyclops with their two sacs of eggs. Then the Cythere and closely 

 allied Cypris, but most abundant and prominent was the Daplmia. And 

 surely it is quite right and proper that our modern daughter of the Peneius 

 should take up her abode in our beautiful fountain, rather than in the 

 dirty ditches she so delights in. 



Worms were not plentiful: occasionally an Aquillula would be seen 

 twisting in and out among the Algoj, and in one collection a lot of Roti- 

 fers were found making things lively for the smaller animalculae. 



I was quite astonished to find here a few Euglencs, usually found only 

 in stagnant water. It was not the species that is found in such abundance 

 as to color the water, but the solitary one. In the same collection was 

 found a Vorticella. This is by no means all the animal life to be found, 

 but it is all that my objective could make out with any degree of certainty. 



Among the plants, as one would naturally suppose, the diatoms were 

 most abundant. Particularly in the small basin ; species of Navicular 

 Nitzchia> Pinnularia^ and the graceful Pleurosigma were found in great 

 profusion while the Meridian and the Gomphonema were by no means rare. 



Considering the size of the basin and purity of the water the number 

 of species of filamentous Algae was remarkably large. Fringing the wall 

 of the small basin were masses of Spirogyra belonging to two species. 

 Uufortunately the season' was too far advanced to find the plant in fruit ; 

 but the strongly vegetating, bright green filaments were in the very best 

 condition for showing the beautiful spiral arrangement of the chlorophyl. 

 Here I also found a little mass of Oscillaria limosa and a single filament of 

 a larger species. Although to the naked eye by no means an inviting ob- 

 ject, yet under the microscope, on account of its wonderful motion, this 



