122 Z.0.0 PHY Eis: 
The condition of a forming bud, that is, the nutrition present and forces at work, seem 
to render it liable to this abnormal developement in animals of the lower grades, in which 
the formation of an ovule is little more than the reproduction of any other cellule in the 
body. The ovigerous portion of any animal must be that best fitted in these respects for 
the developements required ; and in these inferior organizations, the powers of reproduc- 
tion are more generally distributed, as less concentration is needed. 
Van Beneden has observed, that in the Corynee and Hydractiniz the stomachs of the 
several polyps in a compound zoophyte are isolated, instead of communicating with one 
another along an axial tubular cavity ; and that consequently there is no circulation in 
these animals like that of other Hydroidea. This fact decides the unimportance of the 
character upon which the Aleyonaria have been hitherto so widely separated from the 
Actinaria. See note to page 45, 
Reproduction tn the Aleyonaria.—yp. 43. 
Milne Edwards, by his dissections of the Veretillum cynomorium, illustrated by excel- 
lent figures in the late edition of Cuvier’s Régne Animal (Paris, 1837, pl. 91, fig. 1), shows 
that both spermatic cords and ovarian clusters sometimes occur attached to the same 
lamelle. The figures represent the upper part of the lamelle as spermatic and the 
lower part ovarian. It is interesting to observe the close analogy here exhibited to a 
gynandrous plant. Two of the lamella, however, as in the Tubipora described in the 
text, were without spermatic cords. 
Structure of Coralla.—p. 51. 
Under a microscope of moderate power, animal fibres may be readily detected in a 
thin slice of coral, ramifying irregularly throughout it. But beyond this, even with an 
instrument magnifying three hundred diameters, | have been unable to discover any re- 
gular structure that can be traced with certainty to the pre-existence of separate animal 
cellules, In the lamella of the Euphyllia gracilis and Astrea dipsacea, polished down 
and examined with the power above specified, only a minutely clouded appearance was 
made out, too indefinite in character to be represented. By rubbing a crayon over a 
piece of paper a little rough, as good a figure of it would be had, as a more laboured 
sketch could give. There were parallel bands of light and shade corresponding in direc- 
tion with the margin of the plate, and with all its dentations, which indicated what other 
observations had shown, that these plates gradually enlarge by the extension of the 
edge; and this was the only evidence made out of regularity of structure. Examined 
with a polarising attachment to the microscope, the thin slices permitted the polarised 
light to pass, but no colours were exhibited, except in points which were extremely 
minute when magnified one hundred and fifty diameters, the power used in making the 
observation. ‘This fact indicated that the coral plates were composed of minute granules, 
confusedly aggregated, as if each had been the result of independent formation, or the 
secretion of a separate animal cellule. There was no reason whatever to infer that the 
particles of the plate had been secreted and accumulated by superposition under crys- 
