﻿4 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Fewkes 
  on 
  Ascorhiza 
  occidentalis. 
  

  

  tially 
  developed. 
  They 
  are 
  closely 
  pressed 
  together, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  near 
  the 
  lower 
  pole, 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  fill 
  almost 
  the 
  whole 
  

   interior 
  of 
  the 
  capitulum. 
  

  

  The 
  stem 
  is 
  of 
  exceptional 
  character 
  and 
  its 
  structure 
  in 
  

   this 
  genus 
  of 
  Bryozoa 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  unique. 
  It 
  consists 
  

   of 
  a 
  long 
  peduncle 
  of 
  uniform 
  diameter 
  fastened 
  at 
  one 
  end 
  to 
  

   a 
  foreign 
  body, 
  supporting 
  at 
  the 
  free 
  end 
  the 
  capitulum 
  or 
  

   colonial 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  animal. 
  Like 
  the 
  body 
  it 
  also 
  has 
  a 
  

   leathery 
  character, 
  and 
  both 
  have 
  the 
  same 
  colour. 
  The 
  stem 
  

   is 
  carnose 
  and 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  segments 
  of 
  uniform 
  

   size 
  (fig. 
  6) 
  , 
  the 
  partitions 
  or 
  indentations 
  between 
  which 
  are 
  

   well 
  marked. 
  

  

  The 
  stem 
  is 
  very 
  flexible 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  so 
  bent 
  as 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  

   capitulum 
  to 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  attachment 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  forming 
  

   a 
  perfect 
  coil 
  or 
  bow. 
  It 
  is 
  sensitive 
  to 
  the 
  touch 
  and 
  responds 
  

   quickly 
  when 
  pinched 
  or 
  when 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  irritated. 
  Its 
  

   motion 
  is 
  always 
  slow 
  and 
  graceful. 
  

  

  The 
  stem 
  is 
  without 
  appendages 
  or 
  lateral 
  branches. 
  Its 
  

   basal 
  joint 
  is 
  slightly 
  expanded 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  attachment 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  remaining 
  segments 
  are 
  of 
  uniform 
  size. 
  

  

  The 
  outer 
  layer 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  is 
  translucent, 
  pale 
  brown, 
  or 
  

   amber-coloured. 
  Through 
  this 
  superficial 
  layer 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   longitudinal 
  muscular 
  blocks 
  or 
  cubes 
  can 
  be 
  observed. 
  The 
  

   superficial 
  fibres 
  of 
  these 
  muscular 
  blocks 
  can 
  also 
  be 
  easily 
  

   seen. 
  As 
  the 
  stem 
  contracts 
  the 
  articulations 
  of 
  these 
  

   blocks 
  are 
  more 
  evident 
  than 
  when 
  the 
  stem 
  is 
  extended. 
  The 
  

   blocks 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  near 
  the 
  body 
  are 
  polygonal 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   almost 
  spherical. 
  The 
  indentations 
  which 
  mark 
  the 
  separate 
  

   nodes 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  same 
  nor 
  do 
  they 
  correspond 
  

   with 
  those 
  which 
  limit 
  the 
  muscular 
  blocks. 
  The 
  articulation 
  

   is 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  external 
  layer 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  while 
  the 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  muscular 
  blocks 
  does 
  not 
  correspond 
  with 
  the 
  breadth 
  

   of 
  the 
  articulations 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  itself. 
  

  

  As 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Alcyonidium, 
  when 
  the 
  polypides 
  are 
  

   retracted 
  they 
  are 
  wholly 
  drawn 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  beneath 
  the 
  

   gelatinous 
  or 
  carnose 
  coenosarc, 
  and 
  the 
  tentacles 
  are 
  almost 
  

   completely, 
  if 
  not 
  wholly, 
  hidden. 
  This 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  seen 
  the 
  polypides 
  extended 
  beyond 
  the 
  

   ccenosarc 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  What 
  are 
  the 
  zoological 
  affinities 
  among 
  Bryozoa 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus 
  Ascorhiza 
  1 
  ? 
  

  

  The 
  carnose 
  body 
  recalls 
  that 
  of 
  Alcyonidium, 
  although 
  it 
  

   must 
  be 
  confessed 
  that 
  no 
  adult 
  Ctenostomatous 
  Bryozoon 
  

   lias 
  yet 
  been 
  described 
  with 
  a 
  stalk 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  stem 
  of 
  

   Ascorhiza. 
  

  

  Ascorhiza 
  differs 
  also 
  from 
  the 
  Entoproctous 
  genera 
  Pedi- 
  

  

  