298 THE EGG-VESICLES. 



somewhat funnel shaped, but capable of great alter- 

 ation of form. Its lips are endowed with the power 

 of protrusion and contraction to a great degree, and 

 appear to be very sensitive : they are pushed out, and 

 turned in and out, and modified in various ways, with 

 much energy. Its walls are thick and granular, and 

 the cavity which they inclose can be traced for a con- 

 siderable distance down the body. 



Among the foot-stalks were several of the egg-vesi- 

 cles springing from the common stem. (Figs. 3 & 4). 

 They are somewhat like the cells in form, but are 

 about twice as large, both in height and diameter. 

 They are pointed at the bottom, and are attached to 

 the stem by a very short bulbous foot-stalk, which 

 joins the vesicle on one side, a little above the point, 

 which thus forms a sort of spur. The walls of the 

 vesicle are transparent, but corrugated with many 

 coarse irregular rings, and the mouth is somewhat 

 trumpet-shaped, though not quite so wide as the 

 middle part. The core, which permeates the stem, 

 sends ofi" a branch into the vesicle through the foot- 

 stalk, where it is swollen into a little node. It then 

 passes through the centre of the vesicle, being slender, 

 but dilates at the extremity, and becomes commensu- 

 rate with the shelly mouth, to the margin of which it 

 is adherent. Thus it closely resembles in appearance 

 the polype-inhabitant of a cell, supposing the latter to 

 be divested of its proboscis and tentacles. It is 

 however seen in this condition, only after it has 

 performed the office for which it was made. Ordina- 

 rily it is swollen into three or more oval knobs, of 

 which the outermost are the largest; through the 



