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Transactions of the Society. 
when contracted, and has an opening at the tip, from which, I think, 
the secretion forming the tube is extruded. The animal can contract 
wholly within its tube, but expands again very readily. The eggs, 
one to five in number, are carried in a cluster, round the middle of 
the foot ; in mature ova, two pale red eyes can be seen. The male 
eggs are only slightly smaller than the female eggs. I saw a young 
male born ; it is of usual shape, with two red eyes, fig. 1 d. 
The sheath, as will be seen in the figure, is very narrow, extending 
some distance beyond the foot, and ending in a cone, and so trans- 
parent that it is absolutely invisible by transmitted light, but becomes 
evident by dark ground illumination. 
Length of animal 1/85 to 1/65 in.; width 1/450 in. Habitat: 
clear lake on Keston Common. 
Colurus cristatus sp. n. PI. VII. fig. 2. 
This very peculiar Rotifer has been found in America by Mrs. Pell, 
who sent me the sketch and short description from which this account 
is taken. 
The lorica, seen dorsally, is ovate, low in front, and very high and 
arched at the back ; ventrally it is slightly concave. From the 
middle line of the anterior dorsal edge of the lorica proceeds a long, 
stiff, pointed, hyaline crest, slightly milled at the edge, which gives 
a very peculiar appearance to the animal. The head is square, and 
has the usual frontal plate, appearing like a hook from side view. 
Two colourless eyes are situated wide apart on the anterior margin of 
the head. The foot is long, three-jointed, the third joint being the 
longest, ending in two long, pointed, slightly recurved toes. The 
internal organs appeared to be normal, but the lorica was so stippled 
that it was not possible to see much through it. 
Length 1/50 in. ; width 1/60 in. ; length of crest 1/60 in. 
Habitat: Highland Falls, New York. 
Notops pygmseus Caiman. PI. VII. fig. 3. 
This minute but handsomely coloured rotifer* was found, in the 
summer of 1891, in the domestic water supply of Dundee, by Mr. 
John Hood, who sent it at the time to his numerous corre- 
spondents. 
It first appeared very sparingly, but from May to October of 
1892 it was very abundant, as it is again at the present moment. 
Mr. Hood had named it Nctops ruber , but delayed too long publishing 
his discovery, and so when a paper of his to the R.M.S. was 
* In order to give an idea of the appearance in life of this rotifer, students are 
advised to colour fig. 3 a either with water colours or crayons as follows: — First 
colour the large oil-globules orange ; then the larger central division of the stomach 
marked b blue; then the three smaller divisions g g yellowish green; and the whole 
remaining parts, except the brain, a light red ; and, finally, the eye crimson with 
red ink. 
