REPRODUCTIVE POWERS OF PHYLLODOCE. 323 



portion was of a pale green colour, but its breadth 

 did not exceed a third of the width of the original. 



It seems, however, that it is only the anterior por- 

 tion of the Phyllodoce which possesses the power of 

 regenerating lost segments, although the hinder parts 

 retain their vitality for an extraordinary length of 

 time. In the specimen above mentioned, the poste- 

 rior half, when detached from the rest of the body, 



V ' 



had had a small fragment torn off, leaving the place 

 ragged ; this ragged end Sir John Dalyell removed 

 with a sharp pair of scissors, in hopes of preserving it. 

 Accordingly the result was that the wound healed in 

 eleven days ; but, after fifty days had elapsed, nothing- 

 indicated regeneration of the defective head, and 

 about a month later both parts unfortunately perished 

 from accidental vitiation of the water. 



A month subsequent to the capture of several spe- 

 cimens of these animals, a green globular mass, above 

 five lines in diameter, made its appearance floating in 

 the vivarium wherein they were confined ; it was 

 attached slightly to a very thin silken tube formed on 

 the side of the vessel near the surface of the water, 

 and had doubtless been deposited by one of them, 

 which kept always in the vicinity. This globular 

 mass consisted of hundreds of eggs resembling green 

 specks imbedded in a transparent jelly. After a few 

 days, these eggs were hatched, and gave birth to 

 minute ciliated embryos, which for several days moved 

 rapidly about in the surrounding water, testifying by 

 their numbers the extraordinary fertility with which 

 these creatures are endowed ; for Nature still con- 

 tinues to pour forth with lavish hand immense supplies 



