THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS OF THE ALCYONARIA. 309 
and preserved by a fairly hot 7 per cent. aqueous solution of 
formalin.! 
After fixing, the colony was submitted to microscopic 
examination, when minute fragments of Nauplii, of chitinous 
cases of Copepods and Daphnids were seen to be partially, 
and in some cases completely extruded from several zooids. 
Comparatively large specimens of Daphnids and Copepods 
(Cyclops, etc.) were observed in the ccelentera of several 
zooids, enfolded and supported by the mesenterial filaments. 
The crustacea which had not been swallowed were found 
to be excellently preserved by formalin, but the specimens 
observed in the ccelentera of the zooids were generally found 
to exhibit unmistakable signs of disintegration. In many 
cases the empty chitinous shell of a Daphnid still supported 
by the mesenterial filaments was apparently complete. 
I have observed no instance of the ingestion by the 
filaments of any Copepod, or other fairly large form of prey 
in a complete state. In many cases the filaments were 
distended with food material, which, however, was always 
observed to be in a finely divided condition. 
TT: 
In a second experiment colonies of Alcyonium were 
confined in running filtered sea water for twenty-four hours. 
Ripe ova of the flounder were then gently placed upon the 
extended tentacles, and were immediately enfolded by them. 
In a few cases only, however, were they swallowed. Usually 
they were grasped tightly by the tentacles for about a minute 
and then released. Ova of the plaice, whiting, and cod 
were substituted with the same result. Believing the ova to 
be too large to pass through the mouth, extremely small 
embryos of the crab “Galathea” were offered. These 
were eagerly taken, enfolded by the tentacles, and afterwards 
1 This method of fixing, recommended to me by Mr. J. T. Wadsworth, of 
the Victoria University of Manchester, yielded excellent results for histo- 
logical purposes. 
