SERTULARIADiE. 4^1 



Found in old shells, corallines, &c, in deep water ; in 

 Frith of Forth and in Berwick Bay, by Dr. Coldstream. 



The su b- film i lies, Campanularia and Laomedea, are also 

 frequently found on our shores ; they possess a simple 

 circle of cilia on their feelers or arms, with pitcher- 

 shaped cells on stalks that branch, twist, or climb on an 

 axis. 



Campanularia volubilis, " Twining polype," is the com- 

 monest of the family : it is parasitical, and infests the an- 

 tennae of crabs ; its stem is filiform, and at the end of 

 its slender branches are situated the cells containing the 

 polypes. The polype itself is slender when protruded, 

 somewhat like Plumularia pinnata, and becomes dilated 

 at the base into a sort of foot which spreads over the dia- 

 phragm ; widening again at the top, where it fills the 

 mouth of the cell, and gives origin to about twenty slender 

 tentacula, set in two or three series. From the central 

 space, which is surrounded by tentacles, a large fiVshy 

 mouth protrudes, somewhat funnel-shaped, with lips, en- 

 dowed with the power of protrusion and contraction ; 

 these appear to be very sensitive. Mr. Gosse found the 

 species in great abundance round Small-mouth Caves. 



The Campanularia gelatinosa and its beautiful bell- 

 shaped cells, out of which the animals protrude, giving the 

 semblance of a green flower on a delicate pink stalk. It 

 is indeed an interesting object, and currents may be 

 seen in its tubes. Dr. Johnston says, " On Saturday, May 

 29th, 1837, a specimen of Campanularia gelatinosa was 

 procured from the shore ; and after having ascertained 

 that the polypes were active and entire, it was placed 

 in a saucer of sea- water. Here it remained undisturbed 

 until Monday afternoon, when all the polypes had dis- 

 appeared. Some cells were empty, or nearly so \ others 

 were half-filled with the wasted body of the polype, 

 which had lost, however, every vestige of their tentacula. 

 The water hnd become putrid, and the specimen was 

 therefore removed to another vessel with pure water, and 

 again set aside. On examining it on the Thursday, June 

 1st, the cells were evideutly filling again, although no 

 tentacula were visibly protruded ; but on the afternoon of 

 Fr;day, Ju ; , every cell had its polype, complete, and 



[ i 



