THE GENUS ASTROKIIIZA OF SANDAHL. 221 



can be well folloAved out in the ovaries of adult rabbits and 

 cats. 



At the age of six years the epithelium of the human ovary- 

 consists of very small flat hexagonal-shaped corpuscles, 

 measuring ^-yVotb to g-^'^y^th of an inch. The corpuscles are 

 undergoing division. This layer can be stripped off without 

 difficulty. At the age of twelve the epithelium has little 

 difference in appearance from the above, the small size of the 

 epithelial corpuscles being remarkable. The epithelium is 

 beautifully seen in old cats, and must be regarded as 

 homologous with the peritoneal epithelium. In old cats the 

 epithelium on the surface of the ovary consists of very small 

 distinct cells, measuring from -j-^V-otii ^o ^oij-otb inch, with 

 granular oval nuclei. 



Edinburgh. 



On the GENUS Astrorhiza of Sandahl, lately described 

 as Haeckelina by Dr. Bessels. By W. B. Carpenter, 

 M.D., C.B., F.B.S. (With Plate XIX.) 



[In consequence of the publication by Dr. Bessels in the 

 'Jenaische Zeitschrift,' vol. ix, of a description of the 

 animal and test of Astrorhiza as a new genus, the following 

 extract from a paper '' On the Khizopodal Fauna of the 

 Deep Sea," presented to the Boyal Society June 17, 1869 

 (abstracted in ' Proceedings of the Royal Society,' vol. xviii, 

 p. 59), has been forwarded to us for publication by Dr. 

 Carpenter. — Eds.] 



Although twelve years have elapsed since Dr. Sandahl 

 first characterised the genus Astrorhiza^ on the basis of 

 specimens discovered in muddy shallows on the Scandinavian 

 coast, its existence in British seas had not (so far as I am 

 aware) been recognised previously to the Lightning expe- 

 dition. My own attention was first drawn to this type about 

 four years ago by Professor Loven, who was good enough to 

 send me some specimens of it, at the same time informing 

 me that it was not at all uncommon, and might probably be 

 found on our own shores if carefully looked for. These 

 specimens fully bear out the description given of the type 

 by Dr. Sandahl, who characterises the genus as follows : — 

 " Corpus discoideum, orbiculatum, testa tectum stellata e 

 materiis diversis composita, sive poris, margine in radios 

 plures tubulosos excurrente." The species is thus defined : — 

 • Ofvers. af. K. Vet.-Akad. Forh. d. 14, Oktober, 1847. 



