GENUS PODOC YA THUS. 827 



The author has been unable to obtain access to Koch's original description of 

 this species,* as a type of the genus Podophrya, and is dependent for the brief details 

 above given to the short reference to it made by Maupas in his account of Hemio- 

 phrya Thoideti previously described. 



Genus VII. PODOCYATHUS, S. K. 



(Greek, _/>(7//j-, foot; kuathos, cup.) 



Animalcules developing tentacles of two orders, some suctorial, and the 

 remainder simply prehensile, excreting and occupying stalked membranous 

 sheaths or loricae. Inhabiting salt water. 



Podocyathus diadema, S. K. Pl. XLVII. Figs. 1-5. 



Lorica conical or cup-shaped, transparent, of very delicate consistence, 

 obscurely wrinkled or rugose transversely ; pedicle slender, flexuose, two or 

 three times the length of the lorica ; animalcule subspheroidal, resting upon 

 a platform-like involution of the front border of the lorica, and in adult 

 examples usually projecting for about one-half of its total dimensions 

 beyond this structure ; suctorial tentacles short, few in number, occupying 

 a central position ; circumjacent prehensile tentacles numerous, extensile to 

 a length equalling twice the diameter of the body, their substance finely 

 granulate ; contractile vesicles two in number, basally located ; endoplast 

 ovate, subcentral. Length of lorica 1-600". Hab. — Salt water. 



This as yet single known representative of the newly established genus Podocyathus 

 may be said to occupy, with relation to the preceding type, Hejiiiophrya, a position 

 analogous to that held by the loricate genus Acineta, as compared with PodopJuya. 

 Examples of this species were obtained by the author in some abundance, in the 

 years 1878 and 1879, ^-t St. Heliers, Jersey, being chiefly found attached to Hydroid 

 zoophytes and Polyzoa, dredged from a depth of about 10 fathoms. Among these were 

 zooids in every condition of development, the younger ones, as shown at Fig. 4 

 of PI. XLVIL, being naked and simply pedicellate, and thus resembling, except 

 for the character of their tentacles, ordinary PodopJuycB. It was observed that 

 even in the fully matured examples the lories were of very delicate consistence, 

 mucilaginous rather than membranous, and oscillating perceptibly with every motion 

 of the water. The transverse wrinkling of the substance of this structure referred 

 to in the foregoing diagnosis, is evidently produced through the weight of the 

 animalcule's body resting upon it. In the fact that the zooid reclines upon the 

 involuted external wall of its lorica, it may be said to possess a commodious 

 water-cushion rather than a true lorica ; a somewhat similar structural composition 

 is apparently characteristic of the more indurated membranous loricae of the 

 two species recently described by M. Fraipont under the title of Acineta divisa 

 and A. vorticclloides. Under a magnification of 600 diameters the attenuate 

 prehensile tentacles of Podocyathus diadema were shown to be finely granulate 

 exteriorly, the granules, however, not taking a definite form of disposition, or being 

 developed to the extent that obtains in the homologous appendages of Hemiophrya 

 gemmipara. It was further observed that these prehensile tentacles were at 

 frequent intervals flexed towards the body, as in Ephelota corojiata ; monads and 

 other Infusoria being also intercepted and brought by the same action within 

 reach of the centrally developed suctorial organs, which then speedily seized them, 

 and appropriated their body-contents after the manner of an ordinary Acineta. 



* ' Zwei Acineten auf Plumularia setacea.' Jena, 1876. 



