THE GliOBBHQEN 293 



so exactly those of the Coral, that I have often more than 

 half suspected that the former is the immature condition 

 of the latter. Both are found in the same localities, in the 

 same haunts, and often in close proximity, which helps the 

 conjecture. No trace of calcareous deposit is found in the 

 tissues of Corynactis when crushed between plates of glass ; 

 but the observations of Mrs. Thynne* have shown that 

 the young of Caryophyllia attain a large size without depo- 

 siting a corallum. But the results of this lady's experi- 

 ments, — so far as they go, — tend to negative the identity 

 of the two animals; though I must still consider the species 

 as in near affinity. 



Under the microscope the tentacle is seen to consist of 

 a transparent thick-walled tubular stem, in which longi- 

 tudinal fibres are conspicuous, and a globose head. The 

 stem is studded with large oval warts, varying in shape 

 and size, and without orderly arrangement, but set trans- 

 versely on the whole, very close together in contraction, 

 but separated by wide spaces when the tentacle is 

 elongated. Both the head and the warts are pellucid 

 in themselves, but are sub-opaque from their contents : 

 both are thickly covered with jjatyocils, while the trans- 

 parent portions of the stem are clothed with cilia. 



In conformity with the great predominance of the longi- 

 tudinal over the annular muscular fibres in the tentacle- 

 wall, the contraction of these organs is in length rather 

 than in diameter ; or at least that of the diameter is only 

 the result of elongation. The globose head seems non- 

 contractile ; and hence, when the stem is much elongated, 

 we see a spherule at the tip of a narrow foot-stalk, while, 

 when the form is much contracted, the head remaining 

 unchanged, we have the " corrugated cup " of Mr. Peach, 

 with the sphere seated as it were in it. 



* Armals Nat. Hist, for June, 1859. 



