3i8 H. H. ArirleiTon— JVo/es on Indian Botifers. [No. 4, 



the side, It is a curious fact that, though far above the top of the tube, 

 the mouth of the cloaca, when ejecting matter, was raised and pro- 

 jected just as is done by those species which have long tubes in order 

 to eject the fsecal matter over the top of the tube. Tlio foot is long ; 

 when fully extended more than twice the length of the body : the lower 

 portion is generally wrinkled. The tube is very short. In habit the 

 creature is bold, expanding freely and rarely retracting, indifferent to 

 sharp taps on the glass slip or to movements of it. It resembles (E. 

 serpent inits, but the foot is comjoaratively much shorter, and, though 

 I looked carefully, I could see no horns or hook. It diHers from other 

 CEchistes in the smalluess of the corona, the position and small size of 

 the ventral autenna3, and the very short tube. It is rare. 



10. Megalotrocha alboflavicans. 

 Very common. I have found it swarming at all seasons. There is 

 considerable variety in shape and size, the most striking form being one 

 in which the body is very large and inflated, the viscera having the ap- 

 pearance of being hung in the centre of a crystalline vase. In such 

 specimens the ringed appearance of the body as shewn in Ehrenber-g's 

 figures is very marked. I note that Hudson has not drawn these rings 

 in the plates in his book, though my own experience is that they are 

 more or less visible in all our Indian specimens. I noticed some clusters 

 in which the epidermis at the base appeared spotted, but with a higher 

 power it could be seen that this appearance was due to the presence of 

 fine short spines or projections apparently of the same substance as the 

 epidermis. This spined epidermis remained as a sort of sheath or empty 

 skin when by pressure the cluster was broken up. In these specimens 

 the gastric glands were larger and more prominent than in the normal 

 type. Some specimens, apparently full grown, for thoy had eggs in the 

 cluster, were only -gV in length ; the larger clusters contained speci- 

 mens -jV" long- Great as is the difference in size and shape I hesitate 

 to divide them into different species as there were intermediate forma 

 which seemed to link them all together. Further and more careful study 

 may, however, show points of difference which I have overlooked. 



The so-called white opaque spots are, in our Indian species, as seen 

 by direct illumination brownish green by daylight, brown by gaslight. 

 They are in most cases granulated in structure but in many there were 

 clear spaces, sometimes two or more clear spaces in one spot. As I havo 

 never seen British specimens I cannot say whether this is a peculiarity ; 

 I find no mention of it cither in Pritchard or in Hudson and Gosse. 



The male of this species has not, I believe, been previously observed. 

 I met with several specimens in the month of February. They were 



