52 
The Qubbnsland Naturalist. 
VoL. I. 
NOTES ON ROTIFERA. 
No. 2. 
By W. R- Colledgb. 
A beautiful and unique Rotifer exhibited at the April 
Meeting was Trochospmira cequatorialis. It Was first seen 
by Professor Semper in the pools of the rice swamps, in 
the Phillippine Islands, and seems only to be found in the 
tropics at certain times of the year. Some specimens 
have appeared hero recently. They are transparent globes 
about one-thirty-sixth of an inch in diameter, so delicately 
formed that often portions are only visible in certain lights. 
Around the centre a line of cilia runs, dividing it into two 
parts, hence the name “ Trochospceira ceqii atonal is.” At 
one part of the girdle, is a nerve ganglion, bearing a nunute 
eye Further round you find the mouth, adorned with 
a slender moustache of cilia. When these vibrate, they 
cause a current of water to pass into the interior, bearing 
spores and other food particles. These are brought w-ithin 
the range of the tiny jaWs, which prepare it for the tubular 
stomach ; two little pouches attached to the upper part 
of this organ secrete digestive juice, and their contents 
intermingle to aid the process of digestion. Other organs 
hang on the sides of the minute balloon. The ovary- hke 
a curved ribbon, floats in the cavity, being partially retained 
in position by the tube of the oviduct, which is anchored 
in the cloaca. In some specimens one or more eggs are 
seen, and occasionally a curious structure is found, consisting 
of a central sphere, with long spikes projecting from i . 
In others a membrane is thrown round the spike tips so 
that it looks like a little wheel with spokes and tire complete. 
I fancy it must be a resting egg or spore. Few objects are 
more beautiful under the microscope ; when shown on dark 
ground, they seem like silvery globes revolving m sjmce. 
FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB, TOOWOOMBA. 
For some little time past a movement has been afoot 
to form a Field Naturalists’ Club at Toowoomba, the capital 
of the Darling Downs, to which city the Club made an 
excursion in November last. The inovement culminated 
in the successful formation, on 4th April, of a Club with the 
following office-bearers President. Dr. R. Hamlyn- Harris, 
D. Sc. ; Vice-Presidents, Miss Hunt, B. Sc., and Mr. v\. i. 
Gray ; Committee ; Miss Thompson, Messrs. P. Forsyth, 
H. A. Longman and J. Spiers ; Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, 
Mr Frank Burfct. We welcome the advent of the new 
Club, which has affiliated with the Brisbane Club, and which 
we wish every prosperity.*] 
