Oct. 1, 1870.1 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN C E-G OSSIP. 



220 



frequently the case with the freshwater polyzoa ; 

 whence they have been separated from the marine 

 species under the name Hippocrepia (horseshoe- 

 like), the latter kinds being- termed Infimdibulata, 

 from their resemblance to a funnel, the lophophore 

 in these being circular. It is difficult to give an 

 adequate idea of this beautiful object by means of 

 the pencil ; the play of the cilia, the whirl of par- 

 ticles toward tlie mouth, together with the ever- 

 shifting and graceful movements of the whole 



ence disappears as the egg approaches maturity. 

 The eggs, after their escape from the cell, produce 

 a ciliated embryo, from which a new colony springs. 

 In one cell the egg appeared to be connected by a 

 chain of three or four almost transparent bodies to 

 the lower part of the cell-wall, whilst in other cases 

 they were free. Another kind of egg, or rather 

 bud, is produced in the tubes, called Statoblasts, or 

 resting eggs : they remain in ihe tube till the death 

 of the colony, when they are set free by decompo- 



— c 



Fig:. 197. Lophophore of Plumatetta repens, x 120. 



organ, and of each tentacle separately, must be seen 

 to be appreciated. A fleshy tongue (epistome, over 

 the mouth) projects from the base of the inner 

 circlet of tentacles, and may be seen to contract as 

 particles pass down. A transparent membrane con- 

 nects the bases of the tentacles, which are generally 

 curved regularly outwards, but are sometimes pro- 

 truded in a tangled mass ; but this is, I apprehend, 

 indicative of discomfort of some kind to the creature, 

 owing to confinement against the glass of the tank, 

 or to insufficient water. In some of the cells are 

 seen eggs of a dark colour, floating in the fluid 

 that fills the internal sac : they are oval bodies, 

 somewhat flat, and occurring either singly or four 

 or five together : one of them was continually re- 

 volving the whole time it was under observation, 

 probably the effects of currents in the surrounding 

 fluid. 



While immature, the centre of the egg is sur- 

 rounded by a ring of lighter colour ; but this differ- 



Fig;. 198. Single individual of I'lumatella, x 60. 



sition, to emerge into life in the following spring:. 

 A number of muscles may be seen attached to the 

 intestine and the wall of the cell, by means of which 

 the creature draws in the crown of tentacles with 

 great rapidity when alarmed, everting them at 

 leisure when the danger has passed, by a constric- 

 tive movement of the cell, which has the effect of 

 forcing out its contents. The tentacles at first ap- 

 pear in a confused mass, but soon fall apart if all 

 goes well, and the capture of prey and the aeration 

 of the fluids proceed as merrily as ever. 



A. Hammond. 



Rake Moths at Weston-super-Mare. — On 

 the 13th of August last I captured a good specimen 

 of the Striped Hawk-moth {Beilephila Uneatd) at 

 Weston-super-Mare, flying about a bed of petunias, 

 in some public gardens there. At the same time I 

 took also a much-worn specimen of the Bedstraw 

 Hawk-moth (IkilepMla Galii). — R. Aid ridge, Clifton. 



