III. 
ON MELICERTA RINGENS: A CHAPTER FROM THE GREAT BOOK 
OF NATURE AS REVEALED BY THE MICROSCOPE. 
By John Babcock, F.R.M.S. 
Read at Watford, 1 5th December, 1885. 
Communicated by F. G. Lloyd, Hon. Sec. 
[Having reviewed several methods of reading the Great Book 
of Nature, Mr. Badcock dwelt briefly on the several forms of the 
Yorticellina exhibited under microscopes in the room, as showing 
how Nature in her simplest organisms often displays the greatest 
beauty. Finally he confined his remarks to Melicerta ringens, giving 
the following account of certain of its characteristics.] 
Under one of the microscopes may be seen a very interesting 
animal, and I must ask you to bear in mind its she , for otherwise you 
might think that I was describing a large creature. Melicerta ringens , 
as this animal is called, is only about one-tenth of an inch in length ; 
at present you see only its head or trochal crown as it is protruded 
from its dwelling-place. It has not always had a house of its own, 
for when young it left the parental abode and wandered hither and 
thither through its watery world. Its eyes were then well 
developed, and no doubt it made the most of them in its wanderings. 
It was not then very much like its parents, and it had some 
experience to learn before life with it commenced in earnest. 
After a while, its roving life is ended, the parental likeness is 
developed, and our tiny acquaintance rests on some plant or fila¬ 
ment of vegetable growth, and, unfolding its now developed crown, 
begins that work which may end only with its death. A filmy 
secretion envelopes its tender body, and on it are placed the little 
bricks w r hich form its wonderful dwelling. The first bricks are 
placed in a ring around the middle of its body on this enveloping 
membrane, to which they adhere. Then brick after brick is made 
and ring on ring is formed, and, being cemented together, they are 
jerked downwards until the lower ring touches the plant on which 
the Melicertan is perched. This ring is then cemented to the plant, 
while the upper rings are still being built higher and higher. Our 
friend is now securely ensconced in a tower of its own construction, 
in which it moves with perfect freedom, now coming forth and 
again withdrawing itself at its pleasure. You see it under the 
microscope spreading out its four-lobed trochal disc, collecting food 
and building-material, a wondrously beautiful object. But just 
tap the table, and instantly it vanishes. After a few minutes, when 
the alarm has subsided, you see it thrust forth its antennae as 
if to ascertain that there is no danger near, and, being satisfied on 
this point, you observe a gentle quivering on the margin of the 
tower, and then the full expansion of the crown as before. 
Let us examine this creature more minutely. Place it in a smaller 
drop of water, under the slightest pressure, and bring to bear on it a 
VOL. iv.— part ii. 3 
