On a New Species of Rhabditis found in an Ice-Chest

Abstract

In January, 1930, some free-living nematodes belonging to the genus Rhabditis were sent to Professor Leiper by Dr. Broughton-Alcock, who had found them in some fungal slime and débris accumulated in the drip from an ice-chest. Herein they are described as a new species of the genus, being named after the finder, and in view of their somewhat unusual habitat, some observations were made on the temperature reactions of the worms. The medium in which they were found proved unsuitable for the purpose of culturing, and at the suggestion of Professor Leiper a suspension in water of a mixture of powdered charcoal and faæ was used, which has proved very successful. Since January, 1930, pure cultures of the nematodes have been kept in this medium in the Department of Helminthology.