l888.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 173 



We will now speak of its method of feeding, etc. The young 

 have the same means of warfare and defense as those possessed 

 by their parents — poisoned arrows, or lasso-cells, sometimes 

 called cnidae, or nematocysts, thread-cells, etc. These weapons 

 are cells, imbedded in the ou^r skin-substance, filled with fluid, 

 and containing a long and delicate projectile thread, capable of 

 being shot out with considerable force and inconceivable 

 rapidity. These threads bury themselves in any object against 

 which they may be directed, and probably convey into the 

 wound some poisonous matter, thus rendering their prey a 

 helpless victim to their greedy mouths. 



These animals also have a sense of taste, their likes and dis- 

 likes, the sense of smell, and eyes — only rudimentary eyes, 

 however, and probably not of much use. They are very 

 voracious, the little ones especially so. I feed mine with small 

 pieces of oyster or clam, or fresh meat, scraped fine and dropped 

 into the water over them, where every piece is seized by their 

 outstretched arms or tentacles, and passed hurriedly to their 

 mouths. The daintiest food for them, however, is the small 

 oyster-crab, which we sometimes find in the oyster-shell. On 

 this they fairly revel. An Anemone, like this one in the glass 

 jar, easily disposes of a whole crab at a meal. 



PROCEEDINGS. 



Meeting of May iSth, 1888. 

 The President, Mr. Charles F. Cox, in the chair. 

 Thirty- two persons present. 



objects exhibited. 



1. Spicules of Synapta, from New Zealand : by Charles F. 

 Cox. 



2. Mouth-parts of Belostoma Haldimanum : by F. W. 

 Leggett. 



3. Section of Itacolumnite (Flexible Sandstone), from North 

 Carolina : by James Walker. 



4. Parts of Echinus : by K. F. Junor. 



5. A group of Bryozoa : by W. E. Damon. 



The Report of the Committee, appointed to draft resolutions 

 relative to the death of Mr. Joseph Zentmayer, was adopted, as 

 follows : — 



