﻿Mr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Fewkes 
  on 
  Ascorhiza 
  occidentals. 
  3 
  

  

  The 
  capitulum 
  (fig. 
  1, 
  b) 
  is 
  ovate, 
  fastened 
  to 
  the 
  stem 
  at 
  

   one 
  pole 
  and 
  carried 
  with 
  its 
  longest 
  axis 
  upright. 
  Its 
  surface 
  

   is 
  almost 
  smooth 
  or 
  covered 
  with 
  small 
  warts, 
  but 
  without 
  

   marked 
  elevations 
  to 
  denote 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  polypides. 
  

   When 
  kept 
  in 
  confinement 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  get 
  

   the 
  wary 
  polypides 
  to 
  extend 
  themselves, 
  and 
  the 
  openings 
  on 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  through 
  which 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  extended 
  

   were 
  very 
  difficult, 
  or 
  almost 
  impossible, 
  to 
  discover. 
  The 
  wall 
  

   of 
  the 
  capitulum 
  is 
  leathery, 
  and 
  through 
  it 
  extend 
  delicate, 
  

   pink-coloured, 
  anastomosing 
  fibres 
  or 
  threads 
  (fig. 
  4). 
  There 
  

   are 
  also 
  many 
  small 
  yellow 
  pigment-spots 
  in 
  its 
  substance. 
  The 
  

   leathery 
  covering 
  of 
  the 
  capitulum, 
  during 
  life, 
  is 
  translucent. 
  

   The 
  polypides 
  were 
  easily 
  found 
  by 
  a 
  dissection 
  of 
  the 
  capit- 
  

   ulum 
  of 
  the 
  Bryozoon. 
  After 
  many 
  trials 
  and 
  repeated 
  

   observations, 
  in 
  wdiich 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  to 
  see 
  the 
  polypides 
  

   extended, 
  incisions 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  scalpel 
  into 
  the 
  sub- 
  

   stance 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  and 
  the 
  live 
  polypides 
  were 
  found 
  nicely 
  

   packed 
  away 
  in 
  its 
  interior. 
  

  

  Each 
  polypide 
  (fig. 
  2) 
  has 
  a 
  sac-like 
  body 
  fastened 
  to 
  the 
  

   common 
  attachment. 
  The 
  mouth 
  is 
  situated 
  at 
  the 
  free 
  end 
  

   and 
  is 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  circle 
  of 
  tentacles. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  

   polypides 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  their 
  tentacles 
  extending 
  inwards, 
  the 
  

   mouth-openings 
  pointing 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  I 
  searched 
  in 
  vain 
  for 
  polypides 
  on 
  the 
  stem 
  ; 
  they 
  

   seem 
  to 
  be 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  body 
  in 
  all 
  cases 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  absent 
  

   from 
  the 
  stem. 
  Each 
  polypide 
  has 
  a 
  transparent 
  outer 
  wall, 
  

   with 
  yellow- 
  and-brown 
  coloured 
  stomach. 
  At 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  

   the 
  stomach 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  globular 
  mass 
  of 
  unknown 
  homology. 
  

   The 
  mouth- 
  opening 
  is 
  entire 
  and 
  without 
  cover. 
  The 
  tentacles 
  

   are 
  long, 
  stiff, 
  and 
  not 
  contractile, 
  but 
  are 
  readily 
  moved 
  in 
  

   all 
  directions. 
  Each 
  tentacle 
  has 
  a 
  central 
  cavity 
  and 
  its 
  

   outer 
  wall 
  is 
  richly 
  ciliated 
  externally. 
  They 
  move 
  very 
  

   rapidly 
  and 
  often 
  twist 
  themselves 
  into 
  coils. 
  Their 
  manner 
  

   of 
  movement, 
  ciliation, 
  and 
  stiffness 
  recall 
  the 
  motion 
  of 
  ten- 
  

   tacles 
  of 
  other 
  well-known 
  Bryozoan 
  genera; 
  but 
  they 
  have 
  

   only 
  a 
  very 
  remote 
  likeness 
  to 
  the 
  tentacles 
  of 
  the 
  Hydrozoa. 
  

  

  Through 
  the 
  outer 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  capitulum 
  many 
  wheel-like 
  

   structures 
  (fig. 
  3) 
  were 
  observed, 
  which 
  looked 
  like 
  immature 
  

   polypides 
  with 
  their 
  tentacles 
  drawn 
  together 
  in 
  such 
  away 
  

   as 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  radiated 
  appearance 
  to 
  these 
  structures. 
  These 
  

   bodies 
  are 
  thought 
  to 
  be 
  polypides 
  with 
  their 
  tentacles 
  par- 
  

  

  This 
  resemblance, 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  associated 
  with 
  small 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  the 
  Alga 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  "roots'' 
  of 
  large 
  c-pecimens, 
  may 
  

   readily 
  be 
  interpreted 
  to 
  signify 
  a 
  protective 
  resemblance. 
  

  

  