The Rotifera of China. By V. G. Thorpe. 
151 
across the ventral surface just below the corona. In shape, the 
corona is somewhat similar to that of the above-named species, hut 
the ventral sinus is deeper. Its surface is raised above the level of 
the ciliary wreath, roofing over the buccal funnel. Below the opaque 
warts, two ventral antennae are conspicuous. The eyes are absent in 
the adult, but can be seen in the unborn young whilst still in ovo. 
The buccal funnel is richly ciliated, and particles of food revolve in it 
and form a pellet, before passing into the short pharynx which leads 
into the mastax. The trophi are malleo-ramate and of a yellowish 
tint. A long, narrow and winding oesophagus, richly ciliated, leads 
into a capacious stomach. The lateral canals terminate in the cloaca, 
their junctions being easily seen. No contractile vesicle is present. 
The vibratile tags are large, there being five on each side in the body, 
and two pairs in the corona. The oviduct can be traced from the 
ovary to its termination in the cloaca. In my account of M. semi- 
bullata in this Journal,* I first published a description of a peculiar 
expansion from the dorsal surface, near the junction of the body with 
the foot, to which the ova were attached after extrusion from the 
cloaca. This egg-bearing organ, at that time unique, I now propose 
to designate the oviferon. In M. procera it is conspicuous, but in a 
rudimentary condition, being merely a protuberance surmounted by 
three small knobs, and often has as many as four eggs attached to it. 
How the ova become fixed to this structure is still a question for 
future decision. 
I had the good fortune to find the male (fig. 5 d ), the anatomy of 
which follows the usual type, possessing a circular wreath of cilia, two 
bright red eyes, a foot, and sperm-sac with penis. 
Size: diameter of cluster 1/6 in.; length of individual 1/10 in. 
Megalotroclia spinosa. PI. III. fig 6. 
This new species I found in a pond at Kowloon, on the mainland 
opposite the island of Hong Kong, in May 1892, in company with 
M. semibullata. The colonies consist of free-swimming clusters, 
visible to the naked eye, and similar in size to those of the last-named 
rotifer. No opaque warts are present, but the upper portion of the 
ventral surface of the trunk is covered with numbers of sharp spines, 
arranged in no definite order. This rotifer has a curious method of 
contraction, curving herself into the form of the letter S, with the 
corona tucked well inwards, so that the spines stand out prominently 
(fig. 6 c) and evidently serve as weapons of defence. The corona is 
somewhat square-shaped, the ventral cirrus shallow, and the gap in 
the ciliary wreath small. Two minute red eyes are conspicuous on 
the upper edge of the corona, between the two rows of cilia.j 
* This Journal, 1889, p. 615. 
t Two other Kotifera, viz. Megalotroclia semibullata and Lacinularia natans f have 
their eyes in this unusual position. Journ. Quek. Micr. Club, January 1891, p. 254. 
