132 ZOOPHYTES. 



The specimen was still vegetating, and had advanced so far that the 

 hydras had reached the edge of the leaf, and the branches turning over it 

 were beginning to adhere on the opposite side. 



All the hydras had perished on September 24. Many ova had then 

 escaped ; and many still occupied the skeleton, which was nearly free of 

 the whole in the close of October. 



Thus the ova are connected with the body of the hydra ; and I re- 

 marked of specimens from Blackball pond, that the ovum seemed to be 

 attached to the body from its rising and falling in the tube, according as 

 the hydra rose and fell. The tubular cavities likewise were obviously full 

 of water, from the ova being tossed about within. After decay of the 

 animals, they here remained behind, fig. 16 ; but they were not arranged 

 regularly in the skeleton more than in the rest. There was room for only 

 one laying across. I could bring these ova into no position, wherein they 

 did not appear elliptical, though I incline to think this form illusive. — 

 Fig. 17. 



The beautiful specimen, Plate XXXI. was taken, it will be recol- 

 lected, on July 23. Numerous dark ova were contained in the higher 

 parts of the ramifications, towards the hydras : and in other places, were 

 numerous white ova, being immature. On the 4th of September the 

 hydras ceased to display themselves. .A month earlier the ova had been 

 discharged ; some were then seen in the body of the animals, and at the 

 date last specified, they were still escaping from the specimen. After 

 thousands were floating, the water became vitiated, thus disappointing me 

 of their progeny.— Plate XXXIII. figs. 8, 9. 



A specimen, whereof the hydras had 66 tentacula, has been above re- 

 ferred to as investing the bark of a piece of a shrub found at Fenton tower 

 in the month of July. 



Some portions were separated, and deposited in a crystal jar, where 

 they lay undisturbed for three or four months. In December a specimen 

 was vegetating on the side of the jar, which I conjectured to have origi- 

 nated from a prolific ovum. In the end of this month it bore about 

 twelve white hydras. None survived in the end of January, and the parts 

 were then decaying. But here was an example of hydras flourishing in 



