272 
ILYANTHID^. 
ejected at intervals by the same orifice, when undisturbed, 
and that so forcibly as to hurl the floating atoms to the 
distance of two inches. I am pretty sure that I have also 
seen an inflowing current ; but this is more gradual, and 
therefore less conspicuous. The orifice must be considered 
as only a provision for respiration, and not as a tennination 
to the alimentary canal : the half-digested food is, as usual, 
discharged from the mouth. 
The Vestlet feeds freely in captivity, greedily accepting 
fragments of raw flesh, and also skilfully catering for itself. 
One evening I amused myself with observing it capture 
its prey. It was one of those mentioned above, set in an 
upright test-tube, in an old-established tank, close to the 
side. The water contained a large number of minute 
Entomostraca, which, when the candle was placed near the 
tank, flocked from all parts to the light. I thus was able 
to direct the migrant crowd to any point that I pleased ; 
and so brought them, when pretty well assembled, to the 
quarter which the expanded tentacles of the GeriantTius 
occupied. One and another were continually coming into 
contact with the tentacles ; and it was highly interesting to 
mark the unerring certainty with which each was an-ested 
the instant it touched a tentacle. No matter whether the 
foot, middle, or tip of the organ were touched, the little 
intruder inevitably adhered as if birdlimed, and apparently 
without a struggle ; when immediately, with the most 
beautiful ease and precision, the fortunate tentacle jerked 
inward, — all the rest remaining as they were, — and, deliver- 
ing the prey to the grasp of the gular tentacles, in a moment 
resumed its expectant position. So numerous was the 
giddy throng, that this manoeuvre was every moment in 
practice, with some or other of the tentacles ; so that 
scores, certainly, of the Water-fleas were captured while 
I was observing. 
