Chapter XII: Leucophra

Vermis inconspicuus, pellucidus, undique ciliatus. An invisible worm, pellucid, and everywhere ciliated.

146. LEUCOPHRA CONFLICTOR. L. sphærica, subopaca, interaneis mobilibus. Spherical opake leucophra, with moveable intestines.

This animalculum, or rather a heap of animalcula, is larger than most species of the vorticella; it is perfectly spherical, and semi-transparent, of a yellow colour, the edges dark. It rolls at intervals from right to left, but seldom removes from the spot where it is first found. It is filled with a number of the most minute molecules, which move as if they were in a violent conflict. In proportion to the number of these little combatants, which are accumulated either on one side or the other, the whole mass rolls either to the right or left, the molecules going in the same direction; it is then tranquil for a short time, but the conflict soon becomes more violent, and the sphere moves the contrary way in a spiral line. When the water begins to fail, they assume an oblong, oval, or cylindric figure; the hind-part of some being compressed into a triangular shape, and the transparent part escaping as it were from the intestines, which continue to move with the same violence till the water wholly fails, when the molecules are spread into a shapeless mass, which also soon vanishes, and the whole shoot into a form, having the appearance of crystals of sal ammoniac, as figured by Baker. Empl. for the Micros. Plate III. No. 3.

147. LEUCOPHRA MAMILLA. L. sphærica, opaca, papilla exsertili. Sphærical opake leucophra, with a small papillary projection.

It is of a dark colour, and filled with globular molecules, the short hairs are curved inwards; and it occasionally projects and retracts a little white protuberance. It is not uncommon in marshy water.

148. LEUCOPHRA VIRESCENS. L. cylindracea, opaca, postice crassiore. Cylindrical, opake, leucophra, the lower part much thicker than the upper part.

This is a large, pear-shaped, greenish coloured animalculum, filled with opake molecules, and covered with short hairs; generally moving in a straight line. It is found in salt water.

149. LEUCOPHRA VIRIDIS. L. ovalis opaca. Oval, opake leucophra.

Though at first sight it may be taken for a variety of the leucophra virescens; yet, on a further examination, it differs in many particulars; it cannot lengthen and shorten itself as that does. It is also much smaller. Sometimes it appears contracted in the middle, as if it were about to be divided in two.

150. LEUCOPHRA BURSATA. L. viridis, ovalis, antice truncata. Green oval leucophra, the fore-part truncated.

This is similar in many respects to the foregoing leucophra; it is of a long oval shape, bulging in the middle, and filled with green molecules; every where ciliated, except at the apex, which is truncated, and shaped somewhat like a purse; the hairs larger, and sometimes collected in minute fasciculi. It is to be found in salt water.

151. LEUCOPHRA POSTHUMA. L. globularis, opaca, reticulo pellucenti. This is globular and opake, covered as it were with a pellucid net. It was found in fetid salt water.

152. LEUCOPHRA AUREA. L. ovalis, fulva, utraque extremitate æquali obtusus. Oval yellow leucophra, both ends of it equally obtuse.

The little hairs are discovered with difficulty; it has, in general, a vehement rotatory motion.

153. LEUCOPHRA PERTUSA. L. ovalis, gelatinosa, apice truncato obtusa altera latera suffossa. Oval gelatinous leucophra, the apex obtusely truncated, one side sunk down.

Gelatinous, yellow, and small, without any molecules; the forepart is truncated, the hind-part brought nearly to a point, with a kind of oval hole on one side. It was found in salt water.

154. LEUCOPHRA FRACTA. L. elongata, sinuato angulata subdepressa. Leucophra long, with sinuated angles, rather flat.

The body is white, gelatinous, and granulated; it changes its form considerably.

155. LEUCOPHRA DILATATA. L. complanata, mutabilis, marginibus sinuatis. Smooth changeable leucophra, with a sinuated edge.

A gelatinous membrane, with a few grey molecules in the forepart, and a great number in the hinder-part; it is sometimes dilated into a triangular form, with sinuated sides; at other times the shape is more irregular and oblong.

156. LEUCOPHRA SCINTILLANS. L. ovalis, teres, opaca, viridis. Oval, round, opake, green leucophra.

This animalculum is supposed to be ciliated, from its bright twinkling appearance, which probably arises from the motion it gives the water; it is nearly of an egg-shape. It was found in December among the lemna minor.

157. LEUCOPHRA VESICULIFERA. L. ovata, interaneis vesicularibus. Plate XXV. Fig. 41. Oval leucophra, with vesicular intestines.

An animalculum that is a kind of mean between the orbicular and oval, very pellucid, with a defined dark edge and inside, containing some very bright vesicles, or bladders. The middle frequently appears blue, and the vesicles seem as if set in a ground of that colour. Müller could never perceive any of those rays which are mentioned by Spallanzani; he confesses, however, that he once saw an individual like this environed with very small unequal shining rays.

158. LEUCOPHRA GLOBULIFERA. L. crystallina, ovato-oblonga. Crystalline leucophra, of an oblong oval shape.

The body is round, very pellucid, without molecular intestines, though at one edge it has three little pellucid globules; it is everywhere set with short hairs. It was found in a ditch where the lemna minor grew.

159. LEUCOPHRA PUSTULATA. L. ovato oblonga, postice oblique truncata. An oblong oval leucophra, the lower end obliquely truncated.

The body is white, gelatinous, and somewhat granulated; the lower part truncated, as if an oblique section were made in an egg near the bottom. It is covered with little erect shining hairs; at the lower extremities a few bright pustules may be discovered. It is found in marshy waters.

160. LEUCOPHRA TURBINATA. L. inverse conica, subopaca. Leucophra in shape like an inverted cone, and rather opake.

It is a round pellucid body, somewhat of the shape of an acorn, with a pellucid globule at the lower end. It was found in fetid salt water.

161. LEUCOPHRA ACUTA. L. ovata, teres, apice acuto, mutabilis, flaviscans. Oval leucophra, round, with the apex acute, mutable, yellow.

This is gelatinous, thick, and capable of assuming different shapes; the apex bright, and the rest of the body filled with innumerable little spherules; sometimes it draws itself up into an orbicular shape, at other times one edge is sinuated. It was found in salt water.

162. LEUCOPHRA NOTATA. L. ovata, teres, puncto marginali atro. Oval leucophra, round, with a black point at the edge.

163. LEUCOPHRA CANDIDA. L. hyalina, oblonga, altera extremitate attenuata, curvata. Leucophra of a talky appearance, oblong, one end smaller than the other, and bent back.

The body membranaceous, flat, very white, with no visible intestines, except two oval bodies which are with difficulty perceptible; the whole edge is ciliated. Found in an infusion with salt water.

164. LEUCOPHRA NODULATA. L. ovato-oblonga, depressa, serie nodulorum duplici. An oblong oval species of leucophra, with a double row of little nodules.

165. LEUCOPHRA SIGNATA. L. oblonga, subdepressa. Oblong, subdepressed leucophra, with a black margin, filled with little molecular globules, but more particularly distinguished by a curved line in the middle, something in the shape of a long S; one end of which is at times bent into the form of a small spiral. It is common in salt water, in the months of November and December.

166. LEUCOPHRA TRIGONA. L. crassa, obtusa, angulata, flava. Thick, obtuse, angular, and yellow leucophra.

A yellow, triangular mass, filled with unequal pellucid vesicles, one of which is much larger than the rest, and the edge surrounded with short fluctuating hairs. It was found in a marshy situation, but is not common.

167. LEUCOPHRA FLUIDA. L. subreniformis, ventricosa. Leucophra somewhat of a kidney shape, but ventricose.

168. LEUCOPHRA FLUXA. L. sinuata reniformis. Reniform, sinuated leucophra.

169. LEUCOPHRA ARMILLA. L. teres annularis. Round annular leucophra.

170. LEUCOPHRA CORNUTA. L. inverse conica, viridis opaca. Plate XXV. Fig. 42 and 43. An inverted cone, green, opake.

It bears some resemblance to the vorticella polymorpha, No. 290, and the vorticella viridis, No. 283, and requires to be observed for some time before its peculiar characters can be ascertained; the body is composed of molecular vesicles, of a dark green colour; for the most part it is like an inverted cone, the fore-part being wide and truncated, with a little prominent horn or hook on both sides; the hind-part conical, everywhere ciliated, the hairs exceedingly minute; those in the fore-part are three times longer than the latter, and move in a circular direction. The hinder-part is pellucid, and sometimes terminates in two or three obtuse pellucid projections. The animalculum will at one moment appear oval, at another reniform, and ciliated at the fore-part; but at another time the hairs are concealed. When the water evaporates, it breaks or dissolves into molecular vesicles. It is found late in the year in marshy grounds. Fig. 42, _a_, the hinder-part pointed; _g_, the cilia; _h h_, the sides. Fig. 43, _b_, the hinder-part obtuse; _e_, the fore-part; _f_, the horns.

171. LEUCOPHRA HETEROCLITA. L. cylindrica, antice obtusa, postice organo cristato duplici exsertili. Plate XXV. Fig. 44 and 45. Cylindrical leucophra, the fore-part obtuse, the hind-part furnished with a double-tufted organ, which it can thrust in or out at pleasure. To the naked eye it appears like a white point; in the microscope, as a cylindrical body, the fore-part obtusely round, the middle rather drawn in, the lower-part round, but much smaller than the upper-part. With a large magnifying power the whole body is found to be ciliated. The intestines are very visible. It is represented in Fig. 44 as it generally appears; _a_, the fore-part; _b_, the hind-part; _d_, the hooked intestines; in Fig. 45, with the plumed organs; _i i_, the plumes; _g g_, the sheaths from which they are projected.