156 Mr. PATTERSOisr on the Bolina Hibernica. 



nally like the ears of a horse, or somewhat funnel shaped, and occasionally either 

 flattened or concave, with the extremity rounded. At times their position is 

 horizontal, at others they hang " loosely down like the ears of a lap-dog, or are 

 curved like the petals of the martagon lily." 



A whitish cord-like body extends round the orifice of the mouth ; another 

 round each of the four apertures, whence the tentacula issue. From each 

 of the longer bands of cilia, a similar cord of a whitish milky colour, extends 

 over the lobes at the mouth, touches the one first mentioned, and is con- 

 tinued to the four orifices already noticed, one going to each.* These orifices 

 are connected in a similar manner with each, those on the same side of the body 

 by a sti'aight cord, those on opposite sides by an arched one, which adapts itself 

 to the expansions or contractions of the body. The cords from all the bands 

 converge near the anal extremity. 



The two prominent lobes adjoining the mouth, and which sometimes consti- 

 tute one-fifth of the entire length of the animal, are not permanent in their form, 

 but vary not only in the regularity of their outline, but also in the extent to 

 which they are distended, and at times, especially when the animal is in an 

 exhausted state, become so reduced in size as to be scarcely perceptible. 



During the time the drawings were in progress, specimens of the animal 

 were kept in glass vessels of various dimensions, for the convenience of reference 

 and examination, and one of these containing several individuals, was placed on 

 the mantle piece, adjoining to some glasses filled with garden flowers. On 

 looking at these through the transparent body of the Bolina, the flowers were 

 seen so distinctly, that the several kinds were at once recognised, and the parts 

 of fructification in some campanulate corollas, were with ease distinguished. 



On taking a glass containing one of these heroes into a dark room, no 

 luminosity was apparent, but on its being shaken, transient gleams of light were 

 emitted. The animal was then taken and plunged in a glass of fresh water, 

 which appeared instantaneously filled with innumerable small bright globules 



* The following passage in Jones's" Outline of the Animal Kingdom," occurs in treating of the 

 Beroeform species of Ciliograde Acalephse. " From both extremities of the digestive cavity, arise 

 vascular vessels, one surrounding the oral, and the other the anal portions of the body: from 

 these two rings eight double vessels arise, which run longitudinally from one pole to the other 

 of the creature, beneath each of the cartilaginous ribs, upon which the cilia are placed." — p. 73. 



