Rev. T. Hincks on a new Genus of Hydroida. 421 
LIV.—On Ophiodes, a new Genus of Hydroida. 
By the Rey. Tuomas Hincxs, B.A. 
[Plate XIV.] 
Wuite dredging this autumn in Swanage Bay, on the coast of 
Dorset, I have obtained a new Sertularian Hydroid, which offers 
some very interesting peculiarities. Of these the most remark- 
able is the presence of an organ which takes the place of the 
nematophore, but is unique in appearance and structure. The 
polypite, too, differs in form from that of any other Hydroid 
with which I am acquainted, and is furnished with webbed ten- 
tacles—a character which has only been noticed hitherto among 
the Campanularida. 
This very curious Zoophyte must be referred to a new genus, 
to which I shall assign the name Ophiodes. It may be thus 
characterized :— 
Subkingdom CHLENTERATA. 
Class HYDROZOA. 
Order HYDROIDA. 
Suborder SERTULARIDA. 
Family Halecide. 
OruiopEs*, nov. gen. 
Hydrocaulus simple or branched, rooted by a creeping stolon. 
Hydrothece vase-shaped, terminal ; polypites not retractile within 
the calycle; the body deeply constricted a little below the base 
of the tentacles ; tentacles in a single verticil, muricate, webbed 
for about a quarter of their length, and surrounding a conical 
proboscis ; tentaculoid organs borne singly on the hydrocaulus 
(near the calycles) and on the stolon, highly extensile, protected 
at the base by a small chitmous cup, and terminated at the 
upper extremity by an enlarged capitulum, armed with thread- 
cells. Reproduction unknown. 
The remarkable tentacular organ with which the Ophiodes is 
furnished, and which may be regarded as the equivalent of the 
nematophore, consists of a very extensile, snake-like appendage, 
with an enlarged head, attached at the lower extremity by an 
extension of the coenosarc. The base is protected by a small 
chitinous tube, which expands from its point of origin upwards, 
and answers to the theca of the ordinary nematophore. The 
capitulum contains numerous thread-cells, from which a barbed 
sheath and a very long thread are emitted. 
* Der, odiwdys, snake-bearer. 
