66 STAURIDIID^. 



down and gathered together at its base, the tentacles being- 

 still perfect and forming a fringe at the rear of the base." 

 They are as active in contraction and extension as when 

 the umbrella was perfect. This change occupied, in the 

 case described by Mr. Holdsworth, from the 19th to the 

 22nd of August. The reproductive zooid had now dis- 

 carded the accessory structure essential to a free existence, 

 and returned to the simple polypite condition. 



On the 1st of September, eight of the ten arms had 

 become detached and were leading an independent life. 

 They survived in this state for several days, moving about 

 bodily to a slight extent. 



On the 6th of September the manubrium was observed 

 to raise itself and stand erect, " and whilst doing so the 

 mouth expanded and the margin was slowly turned back 

 until it almost reached the base ; and at the same time a 

 cloud of minute specks was expelled. After about two 

 minutes the manubrium resumed its natural shape; but ova 

 continued to pass out, singly or a few at a time." The 

 margin was afterwards thrown back on several occasions, 

 whilst the manubrium was still on its side and ova dis- 

 charged more or less abundantly. Dujardin describes 

 some of the eggs as being deposited before the disappear- 

 ance of the umbrella, and tells us that they were removed 

 from the stomach by the tentacles and glued to the sides 

 of the vessel in which the zooid was kept. Nothing of the 

 kind has occurred to Mr. Holds worth, and he is inclined 

 to regard the somewhat marvellous story as founded 011 a 

 mistake. "When the animal was perfect/' he writes, 

 " one or two tentacles were frequently inserted far into the 

 peduncle ; but this was simply conveying food to the 

 stomach, as I have often distinctly observed. I have 

 watched an animalcule accidentally touch one of the ten- 

 tacular branches, and instantaneously it, with the greater 



