Mr. C. W. Peach on the Metamorphosis of a Polype-like Animal. 99 



The Cyclophori are of Indian types. Leptopoma represents 

 forms of the Indian Archipelago. 



Aulopoma is probably altogether, and Cataulus is nearly con- 

 fined to Ceylon, a species occurring in the Nicobar Isles. 



Pterocyclos is an Indian type. 



November 24th, 1855. 



XI. — Notice of a curious Metamorphosis in a Polype-like Animal. 

 By C. W. Peach, Member of the Royal Physical Society of 

 Edinburgh *. 



[With a Plate.] 



In March of the present year, I obtained from a fisherman's line 

 an old and deeply corroded valve of Psammohia ferroensis, hooked 

 up from deep water. On it I observed some minute jelly-like spots, 

 and on placing it in a shallow glass of sea-water and examining 

 it next day with my pocket-lens, I fancied I could make them 

 out to be Polype-like animals. I accordingly transferred the shell, 

 in a watch-glass filled with sea-w^ater, to my microscope, and was 

 delighted to find my suspicions correct, for, after a little manage- 

 ment so as to catch the light, I could see the forms as figured at 

 A (PL VIII.), attached to the shell by shoi-t footstalks; they were a 

 little inflated near the upper part, and tipped with a slightly raised 

 and rounded centre, from which extended four long and four 

 short leaf-like arms, each granulated down the centre. One or 

 two had springing from these, delicate tentacle-like arms, as seen 

 at A, a — probably in a farther state of development. They were 

 easily disturbed, but soon again displayed themselves, and their 

 transparency, added to this shyness, rendered it difficult to catch 

 their forms. At first I thought they were the early stage of an 

 Hydractinia, and probably H. brevicornis of Miiller, mentioned in 

 Johnston's second edition of the 'British Zoophytes,' p. 35. 



My next examination was on the 2nd of April, after giving 

 them a supply of sea-water ; they were still fixed ; I could how- 

 ever perceive a difference — the centre of the head was more raised 

 and conical, and the arms shorter. I examined them daily, and 

 on the 6th, instead of moored creatures, I had a fleet of probably 

 more than 100 minute /ree naked-eyed medusoid beauties jerking 

 about in all directions. Except in size they were all alike, and 

 perfectly transparent ; the umbrella was well rounded and pilose ; 

 the subumbrella large ; each had four large ocellus-like bulbs, 

 composed of minute dark granules on the edge of the mantle, 



* Communicated by the Author, having been read at the Annual ]^|(Ei^|i|^g 

 of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Nov. 1855. .virfr.^ 



