1896 THE MICROSCOPE. 67 



As soon as you have recovered from your surprise at 

 this strange display, we will begin to examine the i>er- 

 forraers more in detail. A slender creeping thread, 

 irregularly crossing and anastomosing, so as to form a 

 loose network of about three meshes in width, surrounds 

 the margin of the sabella's tube, adhering firmly to its 

 exterior surface, in the chitiuous substance in which it 

 seems imbedded. Here and there free buds are given 

 off, especially from the lower edge ; while from the npper 

 threads spring the strange forms that have attracted our 

 notice These are spindle-shaped bodies, about one- 

 fortieth of an inch in height, whose lower extremities 

 are of no greater thickness than the thread from which 

 they spring ; with a head-like lobe at the summit, separ- 

 ated from the body by a constriction, immediately below 

 which two lengthened arms project in a direction to- 

 ward the axis of the tube. 



vSach is the external form of tiiese animals, and their 

 movements are still more extraordinary. The head-lobe 

 of each one moves to and fro freely on the neck, the 

 body swags from side to side, but still more vigorously 

 backward and forward, frequently bending into an arch 

 in either direction ; while the long arms are widely ex- 

 panded, tossed wildly upward, and then waved down- 

 ward, as if to mimic the actions of the most tumultous 

 human passion. 



Whenever the Sabella protrudes from its tube, these 

 guardian forms are pushed out, and remain nearly in 

 contact with the Annelid's body, moving but slightly ; 

 but no sooner does it retire than they begin instantly to 

 bow forward and gesticulate as before. These move- 

 ments are continued, so far asl have observed, all the time 

 that the Sabella is retracted, and are not in any degree 

 dependent on currents in the surrounding water, whether 

 those currents be produced by the action of the Annelid 



