254 Martin, A Note on the Occurrence of Nematocysts and Similar Structures etc. 



On page 645 of the paper referred to above will be found an 

 account of the method of feeding in Ophryodendron. 



"In an Ophryodendron abietinum which was drawn while feeding, 

 it was noticed that the tentacles of the Ophryodendron were wrap- 

 ped around the tentacles of the hydroid. After a short time the 

 proboscis of the Ophryodendron was retracted, and the nematoblasts 

 with their contained nematocysts could be seen sticking for some 



A". r-" 







Ib 



time in the aperture of the tentacles, giving the tentacles a curious 

 knobbed appearance. It is this appearance that is possibly respon- 

 sible for the figures of knobbed tentacles in Ophryodendron. 



The nematoblasts could now be seen passing down the proboscis 

 into the body of the animal with a peculiar gliding motion. In 

 the course of this passage the long axis of the nematocyst was 

 always parrellel to the long axis of the proboscis; and when the 

 nematoblasts passed simultaneously down the proboscis they followed 

 parallel paths, thus indicating a feature that has already been 



