5 
cularia ; it is drawn at (b) in fig (1), and its knob-shaped ends are seen at 
(b) in fig. (2), and at (k) in fig. (4), while fig. (5) (which is a view of Flos- 
cularia seen from above— the observer looking down the funnel) shows 
that this rotatory organ (p) lies opposite to the largest of the five lobes. 
Dr. Dobie has drawn the knobs and has seen the cilia on them ; but he has 
figured, the latter as motionless setae, and has failed also to see the con" 
necting rim with its rotating cilia. Indeed the rim is very difficult to be 
detected unless Floscularia happens to be presented to the objective so 
that the optical axis of the microscope pierces the plane of the circular 
rim, (fig. 2, a,), from beneath and obliquely ; - and even then it is 
necessary that the animal should be carefully illuminated with the 
paraboloid. 
The vestibule (fig. 2, c,) is separated from the main trunk by another 
diaphragm (d) in which is a slit (fig. 5, o,) which is the mouth, and leads 
to a long spiral tube (fig. 2, e,) down which the food passes to the maxillary 
apparatus (/). The tube (e) is constantly in motion, and has been des- 
cribed by Dr. Dobie, as long cilia hanging down from the mouth into the 
upper stomach ; while Gosse, in the Philosophical Transactions of 1855, 
has drawn it as a thin partition hanging at right angles to the diaphragm 
(d), and constantly thrown into waving folds. It is with considerable 
hesitation that I presume to differ from such excellent observers, but I am 
tolerably confident that it is a tube ; for not only does it present the same 
appearance in whatever position the animal is (which a plane partition 
would not do), but also when Floscularia is dissolved in caustic potash the 
tube remains undissolved, as well as the mallei (/). 
I have also seen water taken in at the mouth, and allowed to pass slowly 
down the tube, dilating one portion of it after another. 
When Floscularia has captured any prey by closing the contractile rim 
(fig. 4, &,), the mouth can be protruded upwards so as to seize it, which 
it does with a sudden snap. The mouth is capable also of being widely 
dilated, so as to take in an object nearly as broad as the vestibule. When 
the upper stomach, which lies between (d) and (/ ) fig. (2) contains food 
which cannot be passed beyond the maxillary apparatus to the lower 
stomach (g), the fcecal matter is got rid of by the sudden protrusion of the 
mouth, right through the vestibule into the funnel ; at the same time the 
lobes of the funnel are drawn down and, so to say, furled ; and the fcecal 
matter is shot out through the mouth ; the true anus is at (h). The upper 
stomach has also a remarkable set of muscles on either side of it (fig 2, e,) 
which give it a fluted appearance, and the use of which is to throw the 
food backwards andjjforwards from one side to the other, so as to give the 
constantly snapping jaws a chance of acting on it; these jaws are shown at 
(fig. 3,j,j,), and are imbedded in what appear to be muscular bulbs (i, «,). 
The other portions of the structure of Floscularia have been well described 
by Dr. Dobie and Mr. Gosse. 
