NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 53 



they are united, and with which they form one sohd piece, which 

 is most prominent. 



The other end of the shaft is not terminated by a ring, 

 as one might expect, but by a small handle or cross-piece, 

 which is not exactly in the same ]3lane as the fluke end of 

 the shaft, and yet not exactly at right angles, but apparently 

 somewhat diagonal to that plane. By this little cross-piece it is 

 attached to the anchor-j^latc which lies below it. Indeed, at first 

 sight it is rather difficult to make out whether the anchor lies 

 above or below the anchor-plate, or whether even the shaft does 

 not pass through one of the holes in the anchor-plate; but on 

 careful examination with the microscope it will be observed that 

 the anchor comes first into the field of view, and that when the 

 anchor-plate is most distinctly visible the anchor has sensibly 

 faded. This plate then lies beneath the anchor, and is rather less 

 in length, the fluke end of the anchor sometimes projecting clear 

 of it. It is a somewhat hexagonal plate, characterised by seven 

 holes, and by a small sort of handle or process, so to speak, pro- 

 jecting from one end of it. This process is about one-half of the 

 diameter of the plate in length, and has two little holes in it; 

 one at the end, an eyelet hole, into which one end of the little 

 hammer-head-looking cross-piece of the shaft seems to fit and to 

 be attached, though perhaps not very firmly, as the anchor is not 

 unfrequently seen by itself on the integument, as is also the 

 anchor-plate. The two holes are somewhat pyriform in shape, 

 and a sort of streak may be observed between them, as if they 

 had at one time been continuous, and, indeed, one long hole 

 may sometimes be observed. The one at the extremity, so far 

 as I can make out with a high power, seems also to be minutely 

 toothed. The plate is rather larger in diameter than the length 

 from point to point of the anchor flukes, and is not exactly 

 circular, for the outline of the circle is waved, where each of the 

 holes within it causes a bulging in the external ring or circum- 

 ference. The form of the plate is rather hexagonal; four of the 

 sides may be considered about equal, and the other two next the 

 process are not so long, but the angles are all rounded ofl". There 

 is one hole in the centre and six around it, seven in all ; 

 they are somewhat roundish rather than oval in form, with the 

 exception of the one oj)posite to the process, and it is usually 

 semilunar. 



