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FOEEIGN MICEOSCOPY. 
On the Ortlionectida, a new Class of Animals parasitic on EcJiino- 
dermata and Turhellaria. By M. A. Giard.* — The little Ophiuran, 
Ophiocoma neglecta, contains a singular parasite which may serve as 
the type of a whole group of animals of very curious organization 
and hitherto almost unknown. The following are the circumstances 
under which this parasite is met with. Ophiocoma neglecta is an 
Ophiuran with condensed embryogeny, or viviparous. The incuba- 
tory cavity, situated in the aboral part of the disk, communicates 
freely with the exterior ; for the most advanced embryos contained in 
this cavity frequently present upon their arms a pretty Vorticella, 
which occurs almost always upon the arms of the parent animal. On 
tearing open the disk in order to extract the embryos from it, we find 
it, in certain individuals, filled with a multitude of animals like large 
ciliated Infusoria, which traverse the field of the microscope in a 
straight line, and with the rapidity of an arrow. The animals occur 
of two forms, which I shall name provisionally the elongated and the 
ovoid form. In both they are simple planuloe, that is to say, organisms 
composed only of two layers of cells — an exoderm or outer layer of cili- 
ated cells, and an endoderm consisting of larger cells bounding a linear 
central cavity with no buccal aperture or anus. Notwithstanding this 
low organization, the body is metamerized, and the metameres even 
present remarkable differentiations. The first ring terminates an- 
teriorly in a blunt cone, and bears a tuft of rigid setae. It is followed 
by a cylindrical ring of the same length, the wiiole surface of which is 
roughened with paj^illae, apparently disposed in ten longitudinal rows ; 
this is the only part of the body which does not present vibratile 
cilia. The third ring is larger than the first two taken together ; it 
widens gently towards its posterior extremity. The fourth metamere 
is of the same dimensions as the papilliferous ring, it is followed by 
a terminal ring, furnished with longer cilia at its posterior extremity, 
conical and subdivided into two metameres less distinct than the 
preceding ones. Such is the elongated form. The last rings form a 
sort of club with which the animal beats the water, independently of 
the movement of the cilia, and by sudden blows, which one might 
think due to the action of muscular elements. The ovoid form diflers 
from the elongated form only in its less length and greater breadth ; 
but I have ascertained that it is not the result of a contraction of the 
animal. Perhaps it is a sexual form, perhaps also a young state of 
the parasite. I give this strange animal the name of Bhopalura 
ophiocom(E.\ 
Intracellular Fermentation. — In a note communicated to the French 
Academy by M. Muntz, reference is made to experiments of MM. 
Lechartier and Bellamy showing that fruits, roots, and leaves 
* From the ‘ Annals and Magazine of Natural History ’ for February, 1878. 
t ‘ Comptes Kendus,’ October ‘2t), 1877. 
