NOTES ON A PECULIAR ACTINAZOAN LARVA. 



77 



The habits of the larva differ from those of the larvae just men- 

 tioned in that it does not come to the surface of the water in the 

 aquarium, nor does it remain motionless for any appreciable 

 time unless it is disturbed, when it contracts and sinks to the 

 bottom of the vessel. 



Two of the larvae went through their transformation two days 

 after they were brought into the laboratory. When transforma- 

 tion is to take place, the larva settles down and becomes attached 

 by the anterior end. In a short time the tentacles are budded 

 out from the upper (posterior) end, and the mouth opening 



FIG. 3. Young polyp, two days after transformation, X - 



breaks through the body wall within the circlet of tentacles. 

 Within twenty-four hours from the time of the attachment at the 

 beginning of the transformation, the young polyp had assumed a 

 form such as is shown in Fig. 3. 



In the five or six weeks after transformation, during which the 

 young polyps were under observation, there was no apparent ex- 

 ternal change other than a gradual increase in the size of the 

 animal as a whole without any change in proportions. 



All the larvae, with one exception, had transformed by Sep- 



