Or in other words, the nutrition M'hirh is secured or received by an individual 

 polyp, is diffused throuf^h and nourishes the whole. 



After a consideration of the subject, with the specimens before us, I think 

 the analogies strongly favor a reference to one or the other of the groups I have 

 indicated, instead of the fishes or sponges, to either of which I cannot perceive 

 they hold the slightest relationship. 



From the coast of Greenland, Lamarck has described a species of Umbellul- 

 aria (U. Groenlandica.) and we might perhaps, with some degree of reason, look 

 for a related form upon the Pacific side, in some northern station where the 

 physical conditions measurably correspond to those of the habitat of the north 

 Atlantic species cited. 



It will be readily perceived, that before an accurate determination can be 

 arrived at, the living forms, of which I believe these " switches" are the central 

 stalks or axes, must be studied in situ, as it is quite doubtful whether the fleshy 

 portion can be preserved. 



At a meeting of (he Academy subsequent to the date of Dr. Blake's remarks 

 to which I have alluded, reference was made to a communication by Mr. Sclater, 

 in the scientific weekly publication, "Nature," bearing upon this subject. 



After writing down the conclusions which I have just read, through the 

 courtesy of Dr. Hewston, I was enabled to examine a file of that publication, 

 and I find that Mr. Sclater read a paper before the British Association, at the 

 Brighton meeting, August 20th, 1872.* in which he acknowledges the receipt 

 of several specimens of these " switches," from Captain Herd, of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company, with a statement from the Captain that, " These rods are the 

 backbones of a sort of fish Ibund in great abundance at Burrauds Inlet, Wash- 

 ington Territory, North-west America, whence they have been brought by two 

 Captains in our service. These animals are shaped like a Conger eel, but are 

 quite transparent, their bodies being composed of a mass of jelly — they are 

 about 8 inches in diameter. The head is like a shark's head : it is attached to 

 the thick end of the rod — it has two eyes and a mouth placed low down. The 

 backbone is also transparent in the living animal, but becomes hard when dried 

 on the beach by the sun. These fishes swim about in shoals, along with the 

 dog-fishes." Uther information was received by Mr. Sclater, of the same tenor. 



A specimen of the switches was sent by xMr. Sclater to Prof. Kolliker, of 

 Wurzburg, who had shortly belbre been engaged in monographing the Penna- 

 tulidse ; and the latter gentleman, in reply, stated his belief, " 'I'hat the object 

 you sent me * * * is indeed the axis of an unknown Pemiatulidie, etc." 



" Prof. Flower, Prof. Milne-Edwards of Paris, and several other Naturalists, 

 who visited the rooms of the Zoological Society * * all said that the objects 

 were new to them, and that they did not know what they were, but were mostly 

 inclined to regard them as the axis of an unknown Pennatulide animal. "f 



From the allusion (in the foot-note) in " Nature " to Dr. Gray, and his refer- 



s= See "Nature," Vol. VI, page 436. t See " Nature"; also foot-note. 



