Anatomy of Gorgonid^. 149 



light, the faint outhnes of the cell can be made out and also 

 prolongations like the " poles " of ganglion cells. In some 

 of these cells the protoplasmic contents can be seen and the 

 poles appear to contain granular protoplasm. The poles of 

 one cell do not appear to anastomose with those of others. 

 Perhaps the cells are too remote for the connection to be easily 

 traced even if it exists. 



These stellate cells do not exhibit an}- tendency to form 

 linear series as is the case in Briareinn asbestinnm. In some 

 cases they seem to form the point of origin of spicules and, as 

 has been stated, the minute spicules in the tentacles of the 

 polyps contain nuclei-Hke dots which are indistinguishable 

 optically from the nuclei of the stellate cells of the mesoblast. 



Water-vascular System. The Primary canals do not 

 appear to be at all constant in number, twelve being about 

 the average, and vary greatly in size. The number evidently 

 increases as the branch grows larger. In sections near the tip 

 onh^ four or five primary canals are seen, while further down 

 from ten to fourteen are found. (See PI. VIII, fig. 6.) 



The Secondary canals in this species offer no characters not 

 heretofore described. 



The Capillaries are by no means so numerous as in other 

 species, being largely confined to the region between the pri- 

 mary canals and axis, and that immediately under the ecto- 

 dermal investment of the zoanthodeme, where they wind 

 around among the cortical laver of spicules. 



The nuclei in the walls of the capillaries do not appear to be 

 so numerous as usual. 



The Axis cylinder is practically the same as in the last. 

 The fact of its being surrounded by an easily separable sheath 

 of mesoblast containing vertically arranged spicules, is inter- 

 esting as an approach to the structure found in Plc>:atireUa 

 dichotoina in which the horny axis is surrounded by a sheath 

 in which are embedded a number of calcareous deposits in the 

 form of what 1 have called "vermiform bodies." 



In both P. dichotonia and E. toitrneforti we have a deposi- 



