Plate 89. 
VERMES. SIPHONOPHORA. POLYPI. 
the organism is formed of a long tube commencing in a vesicle, which is inflated with air 
and serves to keep the animal in an upright or slanting position. On this tube there are 
rows of cirrhiform productions, which serve to propel the animal through the water. Below 
these there are situated a number of movable feelers, intermixed with long filamentous 
tentacles, which enclose two suckers or gastric pouches. These receive the food and diffuse 
it over the whole of the organism. 
1, The Physophora Disticha, is one of the simplest forms, about 4 inches in length 
and with two rows of vesicles. It is found in the southern seas. 
2. The Hippopodius Luteus, does not exhibit the tubular formation so distinctly. The 
natatory vesicles are crowded closely together. This animal inhabits the Mediterranean. — 
The Polypi are zoophytes, mostly of cylindrical form and generally attached to the 
rocks. The mouth-aperture, situated at the top, is surrounded with several rows of ex- 
tremely elastic, movable feelers. The stomach, which is situated immediately below it, is 
divided into cells and encloses both the circulatory system and the organs of reproduction. 
In most of the Polypi reproduction is effected by germination, buds showing themselves in 
various places on the mother and growing, more or less firmly attached to her. In this 
manner whole colonies come into being, frequently of enormous extent, and, as the external 
covering of their bodies generally becomes petrified, they form banks and ridges of rock. 
The Sea-Anemones or Animal flowers, Actinia, are able to shift their quarters slowly 
and attach themselves in some fresh locality by means of the fleshy disc, which forms the 
base or foot of the body. They live singly and are found in every sea. The species is 
propagated by means of eggs, which frequently develop themselves before quitting the 
mother’s body. 
3. The Coral Sea-Anemone, Actinia corallina, is found in the Mediterranean. Its color 
is a splendid red, with numberless tentacles streaked with blue. 
4. The Actinoloba Dianthus, or Sea-pink, has a columniform body, 5 inches high, but 
which can at pleasure be completely contracted, so as to make the creature appear quite flat. 
The tentacles are delicately feathered. This beautiful species is found on every coast in Kurope. 
5. The Sagartia Venusta is a small species, scarcely one inch in height, of a beautiful 
orange color with white tentacles. It is found on the South and West coasts of Great Britain 
and Ireland, generally in the cavities of overhanging rocks. 
6. The Sagartia Parasitica prefers to attach itself to crabs and mussels and let itself 
be carried about by them. It is a very common species and is found in the British Channel 
-and in the Mediterranean and Red seas. When fully grown it is 4 inches high and has 
some 500 tentacles. 
7. The Tealia Crassicornis, the thick-horned Sea-Anemone, is so called from the form 
of its tentacles, which are transparent. The body is very broad for its height, measuring 
sometimes as much as 3 inches in diameter. It is found on the atlantic seaboard of Europe 
in the cavities of the rocks. 
8. The Stomphia Churchie resembles a short, thick column, over which the deflected 
tentacles project. This species, which is richly colored, grows to the height of 21/2 inches, 
and is found in deep water on the coast of Scotland. 
9. The Peachia Hastata does not fasten itself to the rocks, like most of the Actinia, 
but works its way into the sand. In form it is something like a cucumber. It is generally 
about 4 inches long, but can stretch itself to twice that length; its color is very varied. It 
is found on the English coast. 
10. The Atptasia Couchii is long and slender in shape, the upper part expanding like 
a trumpet and crowned with four rows of tentacles. It is 4 inches in length and is found 
in the British Channel, in deep water attached to the rocks. — ; 
The Alcyonew are closely allied to the sponges. The body branches into several lobes, 
the leathery skin of which is pierced with numerous star-shaped pores, which are in fact 
the terminal openings of the tube-like rays that distribute themselves through the glutinous 
mass of the body, and from which the small polypi stretch forth their tentacles. There 
are but few varieties of the genus, which is chiefly met with in the southern seas, attached 
to rocks and mussels. 
11. The Alcyonium Aurantiacum, a beautiful coral red in color with white polypi, is 
found on the coast of New Zealand. 
The Caryophyllea resemble the Actinia in organisation. They are however smaller and 
adhere to the rocks in clusters of 20 or more by the caleareous tubes enclosing their bodies. 
12. The Caryophyllea Fasciculata resembles a bouquet of flowers and is found off the 
island of Vanikoro in the South Sea. 
The Swphonophora, are animal forms of very peculiar construction. The central point | 
