290 W. WOODLAND. 
Hickson states that the “ nematocysts of Aleyonium are 
extremely small (0°0075 mm.) and all of one kind,” and 
describes those situated in the ectoderm of the tentacles. In 
addition to these nematocysts Hickson describes certain 
“oval bodies lying in and among the cells of the endodermic 
cords.” He adds that ‘“‘they may be readily distinguished 
from the endoderm cells by their dark but homogeneous 
appearance,” and that ‘‘in one or two instances he succeeded 
in making out a somewhat irregular body in the centre, which 
maybe anucleus.” Hicksonsuggested that “they may be some 
form of parasitic sporozoon.”’ Bournealso noticed these “ovoid 
bodies,’ 1 as he calls them, and stated quite correctly that 
“each . . . is surrounded by a protoplasmic sheath, and has 
a relatively large nucleus on one side of it,’ and that they are 
not calcareous in nature. “They stain deeply with hema- 
toxylin,” and (contrary to Bourne’s statement) also with 
picro-carmine, methylene blue, and some other stains. Bourne 
hazards a guess that these “ovoid bodies” are degenerate 
nematocysts. I also have observed these very conspicuous 
bodies, illustrations of which I have supplied in figs. 22 and 
23. In one respect only can I improve upon the description 
of Bourne, and that is the observation of a structure distin- 
guishing the cells containing “ ovoid bodies,” situated at the 
‘ As Bourne says, these “ovoid bodies” occur in other Anthozon, and 
Mr. KE. T. Browne has shown me globular bodies of the same nature in 
Solmundella bitentaculata (one of the Narcomeduse)—bodies which 
exactly resemble those shown in fig. 22, save that they are spherical instead 
of oval. No enidocil could be detected in connection with the cells containing 
them. With respect to the cells containing “ovoid bodies” found in 
Alcyonium digitatum, I may add that those possessing cnidocils have, as 
shown in the figures, the greater part of the cytoplasm associated with the 
enidocil, which is wholly composed of it; also, in these cells generally the 
nucleus is situated at the cell periphery, and somewhat flattened out in its 
contact with the cell-wail. In one case I have observed the stained “ovoid 
body” to be contained within a fairly large spherical cell situated in the 
ectoderm—doubtless a cnidoblast not yet reduced to the normal dimensions. 
Quite recently I have observed ‘ovoid bodies,” similar in every respect to 
those of A. digitatum, in teased preparations (stained with methylene blue), 
of the common Hydra! 
