" GUARD-POLYPITES." 11 



Receptacle door, or lid. In some 

 cases, amongst the higher kinds, there are 

 devices for closing the top of the receptacle by 

 a lid of various forms, which is forced open 

 when the animal emerges, and closes when 

 it retires. The lid is either external or 

 internal, the latter form being the higher 

 development. 



** Nematophores." Attention should 

 also be called to certain peculiar bodies called 

 "Nematophores" or "Guard-polypites," which 

 are found on the stem and branches of the 

 Plamulariida', and often closely associated with 

 the polypites. They have been carefully studied 

 by Allman, and appear to be a prolongation of 

 the outer animal layer of the coinosarc, and 

 show the lobular movements peculiar to the 

 lowest form of animal life, mz., the amoeba. 

 (Amoeba = like character of Nemato= 

 phore). They may be readily watched in 

 either Pkimularia or Afjlaopkenia. In the 

 latter they are found exceptionally distributed 

 over the egg-case. Their functions are not 

 fully understood. In some instances dart sacks 

 are found in connection with them. 



