70 MYRIOTHELID^E. 



jjkrygia. He states that he referred it provisionally to this 

 genus, and that in many points it was closely related to 

 Hydra. De Blainville (in 1834) , neglecting this hint, and 

 failing altogether to appreciate its true affinities, separated it 

 much more widely from its kindred, and assigned it a place 

 near Sipunculus, under the generic name of Candelabrum. 

 In 1849 it was rediscovered by Sars, who gave an admi- 

 rable account of it as Myriothela arctica, and placed it 

 amongst the Hydroida, between his Coryna and Syncoryna. 

 He did not at the time recognize the identity of his zoo- 

 phyte with the Lucernaria phrygia of Fabricius ; but many 

 years after, at a meeting of the Northern Scientific Asso- 

 ciation, he announced that he had seen a specimen of the 

 latter in the University Museum at Copenhagen, and that 

 it was neither more nor less than the Myriothela. 



Agassiz has lately restored the genus Candelabrum of 

 De Blainville, on the ground of priority of date ; but as 

 this author was wholly ignorant of the true nature of the 

 animal, and has left us no description of it that is of any 

 scientific value, his generic name must properly give place 

 to that of Sars, who was the first to characterize it ade- 

 quately*. The original specific designation conferred by 

 Fabricius must be retained. 



Myriothela is usually described as a solitary polypitc ; 

 it would perhaps be more correct to say that it is a cluster 

 of polypites, one of which is fully developed and of large 

 size and acts as the alimentary zooid, while the others are 

 small and rudimentary and support the reproductive buds. 

 The peculiarity is the development of the prolific zooids on 

 the base of a single primary polypite instead of on the 

 ccenosarc as in Hydractinia &c. 



Mr. Alder has suggested the probability of a close affi- 

 nity between Myriothela and tlieAcaulis of Stimpson, and 



* Vide Allrnan, "Notes on the Hydroida," Ann. N. H. for July 18(31 



