THE GAPELET. 
225 
The Gapelet is rather difficult of domestication. In 
general, it attaches itself (usually to the perpendicular 
side of the vessel) for a short time, but soon relinquishes 
its hold, and, after rolling about a few days on the bottom, 
dies. The approach of death seems to be always symptomed 
by spontaneous rupture and sloughing of the skin, and 
protrusion of the viscera. One, however, of the variety 
jyyriglotUi, the gift of my kind friend, Mr. Gregor, esta- 
'blished itself in my largest tank, and survived three 
months. My friend Mr. West has had a specimen from 
the Yorkshire coast a still longer time. 
In health, Stom 2 )lna is remarkable for its extreme ver- 
satility of form. The column is sometimes cylindrical, 
sometimes shaped like a dice-box, sometimes like an hour- 
glass, while frequently successive constrictions chase one 
another along the extent. The base, when the animal is 
free, is sometimes concave, at others convex, and occa- 
sionally conical, while not unfrequently these forms arc 
combined, tlie centre being conical while the rest is concave, 
— a cone in a crater. The disk is sometimes a deep bell, 
like a Convolvulus ; then a low cone, with the widely- 
gaping mouth crowning the summit. 
My first consignment from Macduff consisted of two 
individuals, which on dissection proved to be of opposite 
sexes. They showed no external diversity^f form or 
colour, but of one the pale salmon-coloured reproductive 
organs, which were very plump and full, w'ere found under 
the compressorium to be filled with an infinite multitude of 
spermatozoa ; each of which consisted of a long-oval body 
*00015 inch in length, and a vibratile tail about thrice as 
long. In the other example the mesenteries w*cre loaded 
with grape-like ova of a brilliant scarlet hue, varying in 
dimensions; — one of the largest measured *03 inch in 
diameter. These consisted of an opaque scarlet yelk in a 
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