’ 
17 
it straight across, completely dividing the cell, a small portion 
with the lower end of the peduncle being left attached to the 
weed. The other portion containing the animal and a greater 
portion of the cell, I dragged away into the middle of the trough 
and awaited results. At first, the creature did not attempt to move, 
its tentacles being completely closed up in the cell; but the mastax 
and intestines kept moving. It remained in this state for two 
hours, and then began to rouse up, but instead of expanding the 
tentacles and making an exit out of the upper end of the cell as 
before, it began to [see note] back out of the cell by the lower end, 
and after some time cleared it, turned round and gradually 
expanded its tentacles. I watched a greater portion of the night, 
and it seemed in no way the worse for the operation it had under- 
gone. 
The next morning, 16th (9 a.m.), it was alive, and at 10 p.m., 
it seemed to be in good health, in spite of the change in its circum- 
stances. The tentacles were perfectly semicircular and rigid, 
which is a sure indication of health; they become limp and 
straggling when the creature is sickening or about to die. 
On Wednesday, 17th (7 a.m.), I found the creature alive, and, 
what was more strange, that it had thrown off an ovum, which 
was in an advanced stage of development; the ovum was close to 
its side, but whether attached to it or not, I do not know. 
All went well with the creature until Sunday the 2ist, when 
there were unmistakable signs of approaching dissolution. The 
mastax worked in a very fitful manner. I left it in the evening, 
feeling sure it would be dead in the morning, as was the case, just 
eight days from the time of leaving the cell. 
The above observations I am sure will speak for themselves, 
not only as to the character of the cell of Stephanoceros Eichornii, 
but also to the fact that it is able to live and propagate its species 
indepently of its cell. 
On another occasion I watched the development of a young 
Stephanoceros from the moment of hatching. On making its 
escape from the egg, the little creature bursts its covering by a 
sudden jerk of the posterior portion of the body, much resembling 
the jumping action of the shrimp ; the whole surface of the shelly 
covering, seeming, as seen by the Binocular, to be forced upwards 
and the little one floats out into its world of water. During this, 
its larval state, it is vermiform and free-swimming, in fact it is a 
perfect rover, poking its head into every nook and cranny. Its 
head is covered with cilia, two eye-spots are plainly visible, but 
there is not the remotest sign of tentacles or maxillary organs 
until it settles itself down for its final state. The larva, I watched, 
took up its abode close to the edge of a leaf; the peduncle 
