304 
BRITISH ENTOMOSTRACA. 
plunge themselves deeply amongst the filaments of which 
these organs are composed, and remain so firmly fixed to 
the spot where they attach themselves, that no efforts can 
make them move. “ They allowed themselves/’ says 
M. Edwards, “ to be torn to pieces, without making the 
least movement, or quitting their hold. Plunged into 
fresh- distilled water they were soon killed, but did not 
fall off, and when the piece of gill putrefied, they putrefied 
along with it, without their ever making any motion. 
When plunged into spirits of wine, they made no move- 
ment of contraction visible, even when examined by means 
of the microscope. Taken carefully off, with all possible 
precautions not to injure the animals, and placed in a 
glass of sea- water, though watched for several hours, and 
though they lived during that period, as might be seen 
from the peristaltic movement of the intestine, they made 
no attempts themselves at locomotion.”* 
The males have never yet been observed, but in all 
probability, as the animals of this genus approach so 
much in their habits to those of the Lerneadse, they are, 
as in them, very small, unattached, and capable of moving 
freely about in the gill-cavity, or attaching themselves to 
the females. 
All the specimens yet observed have had the wing- 
shaped appendages, and invariably, when of a large size, 
have had the external ovaries suspended from the body, 
and full of eggs. These are spherical in shape, and of a 
very pretty rose colour. After the egg has made some 
progress, it assumes the appearance of a somewhat irre- 
gular oval, a little flattened on its sides, on each of which 
a pair of limb-like knobs or excrescences are visible, 
situated at a little distance from each other. The front 
pair most probably become antennae, aud the posterior, 
foot-jaws. 
A very curious circumstance has been observed by 
Rathke, with regard to the further development of these 
* Ann. Sc. Nat., ix. 
