ANIMALCULE ALLIED TO NOTOMMATA. 
333 
for the purpose of comminution. A third sharp and curved tooth is observed on the 
centre of the long arm of the jaw. I have thought also to have observed a second 
much more slender and pointed pair of jaws (Plate XXXIII. fig. 3 H), but this requires 
confirmation. When a small animalcule is seized, a Gonium for instance, on which it 
feeds greedily, it is placed as it were on a firm cushion in front of, and somewhat 
below, the jaws, and is thus prevented from escaping beyond the action of the teeth. 
Opposite the jaws appears the red eye, of which a further description will be given 
presently. 
Below the mandibular apparatus the tissues expand into a sort of membranous 
pharyngeal cavity (Plate XXXIII. fig. 1 F), terminating below in a funnel-like apex, 
leading to the oesophagus (Plate XXXIII. fig. 1 G). The pharynx is very contractile, 
and furnished accordingly with a muscular tissue. 
The oesophagus is narrow, and, while not in the act of giving passage to the food, 
is closely contracted ; when, however, a morsel is about to be transferred from the 
pharynx to the stomach, the latter organ is brought up by special muscles to within a 
short distance of the former, and the transfer quickly takes place down the now dilated 
oesophagus ; and if the prey be of considerable size, it is even forced downwards by 
the strong action of the united jaws. 
Immediately before the junction of the oesophagus with the stomach, two kidney- 
shaped glands (Plate XXXIII. fig. 1 H) are seen attached, one before and one behind this 
tube. The glands seem composed of nucleated cells, imbedded in a granular stroma ; 
and in the concavity of the kidney-shaped organ may be seen a definitely-shaped 
granular mass leading to the duct, conveying the secretion to the stomach, which it 
enters just above, or by the side of the insertion of the oesophagus. These glands are 
evidently salivary or pancreatic, and at least are subservient to the process of digestion. 
The stomach (Plate XXXIII. fig. 1 I) itself is a comparatively large and sacculated 
cavity, of an ovoid shape, the sacculi giving it somewhat the aspect of a bunch of grapes 
where the berries are closely compacted together. Each little pouch or sacculus has 
in its centre a large clear nucleus ; and on comparing it with the stomach of Notom- 
mata claviculata (Ehren.), in which hepatic caeca are appended to each sacculus, 
there is reason to think these nucleated cells also subserve the function of a liver. 
This belief is further countenanced by the fact of the stomach, when employed in the 
digestion of the food, assuming a yellowish brown colour, and at least the whole pro- 
cess of assimilation is performed in this cavity alone. There is no other orifice to 
the stomach except the cardiac or oesophageal one ; hence there is no intestine, and 
the siliceous shells of its prey, and other rejectamenta, are brought back to the pha- 
rynx and rejected by the oral orifice. In this process also we see the forcipated 
jaws frequently assisting to eject the larger portions of the digested food. I have 
frequently seen this act performed, and the empty shells of Brachioni and Closteria 
returned and forced out again by the action of the jaws. There are apparently long 
ribbon-shaped muscles (Plate XXXIII.fig.G) that pass from the pharynx along the oeso- 
2 x 
MDCCCXLIX. 
