318 ME. P. H. GOSSE ON THE DKECTOTJS CHAEACTEE OF THE EOTEFEEA. 
covered with a tortoise-like lorica. Its length, exclusive of the foot, was of an 
inch. A constriction indicates the distinction between the head and the body. The 
foot has a thick penis united to it behind (fig. 14), the tip of which is protrusile and 
ciliated. No internal organs are visible, except a red eye near the middle of the back, 
and a mass of opake matter at the hinder part. The interior is occupied with a vast 
number of minute granules or globules irregularly clustered. Its movements were very 
rapid ; it darted incessantly about the live-box, so that it was impossible to keep it for 
more than a moment in the field ; several females were enclosed with it, some of which 
were without eggs, while others carried them. By means of a small microscope I 
watched them awhile, and had the satisfaction of seeing what I had no doubt was a 
sexual conjunction, though it was but momentary, with one of the females without eggs. 
21. All the observations I have mentioned (except the first) were made in April and 
May 1860. Leaving what I have to say of other genera for the present, I shall go on 
with Brachionus, detailing all I have learned of the males of this genus together. 
In August of the same year I examined many specimens of B. BaJceri. One of these 
had two eggs attached to its body, which, from their size and appearance, I judged to 
be male eggs (fig. 11) : they measured X xicrtk of an inch. After a while, one of 
these began to show the ciliary action ; then the eye became visible ; and at length the 
well-defined foetus moved vigorously in its transparent prison (fig. 11 c). Meanwhile, 
the egg that had been developing was at length extruded, and took its place beneath 
its two fellows (fig. 11 h). The evolution of the foetus from these eggs being delayed 
considerably beyond the usual period, I endeavoured to promote it by artificial pressure, 
and in one case succeeded in cracking the egg, so that the animal was enabled to escape 
(fig. 12). It was very inert and feeble, did not swim rapidly away as usual, but remained 
in the same place. It resembled other male BracMoni ; there was manifestly a simple 
enveloping lorica, cup-like, without points. On killing it by pressure, the viscera were 
forced out in the form of globose vesicles of various sizes ; the eye was resolved into three 
or four atoms of pigment, and the opake white spots that are so characteristic of males 
seemed composed of an immense number of moving atoms, excessively minute, which, 
when they were freed from the body, continued for a moment or two to move sponta- 
neously. These were probably spermatozoa ; but, from subsequent observations, I have 
reason to think I was mistaken in supposing them to have proceeded from the opake 
masses. 
22. About the same time I procured from Walthamstow a very fine and elegant 
species, described by myself under the name of B. Boreas. One specimen carried a 
female egg nearly matured, in the ovisac, and the empty shell of another (fig. 15) attached 
to its lorica. Another had three male eggs attached, and one matru’mg : the dimensions 
of male eggs were Y^thX 3 -^oth of an inch: fig. 16 represents one of these, with the 
foetus nearly ready for exclusion ; the thick penis-foot is seen tmned up to one side. 
23. The female is represented at fig. 17, an hour after birth. I had the pleasure of 
seeing this hatched. The egg is of a bluish-grey hue, and shows the large mastax ndth 
