26 Messrs. Giles and Clarke on a species of Zoophyte 
I11.—A few remarks upon a species of Zoophyte which has been 
discovered in the New Docks of Ipswich. By Mr. Epwin GILEs 
and Dr. W. B. Crarxe. 
To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 
GENTLEMEN, 14 Berners Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. 
Tue Zoophyte which is the object of the following remarks was 
discovered in the New Salt-water Docks of Ipswich in Suffolk, 
and brought under my notice by Mr. Edwin Giles, who was then 
in possession of several fine and vigorous specimens. The ani- 
mal appears white, or of a delicate flesh-colour and semitrans- 
parent ; of an obconical form ; from a quarter to half an inch in 
length, exclusive of the tentacula, which are about three or four 
times the length of the body. The base is furnished with a more 
or less extensive dise for attachment; the tentaculiferous extre- 
mity is circular and provided with from sixteen to twenty-one 
long tentacles and a subquadrangular central aperture or mouth, 
capable of rapid and very considerable expansion and contrac- 
tion. The circumference of the disc is bordered by an apparently 
roundish and slightly thickened margin from which the tenta- 
cula proceed ; whilst the dise is furnished with four subovate 
bodies, each placed diametrically opposite to another having an 
orifice-like appearance and extending to the base of the tentacle 
which is nearest to it: these bodies are also coincident each with 
one of the sub-bifid lobes of the mouth, as seen in the woodcut. 
These animals are extremely interesting from the elegance of 
their form and the rapidity and peculiarity of their movements. 
We had an opportunity of observing them whilst busily engaged 
in securing their prey, probably consisting of infusorial animals, 
which however were so small that we could not ascertain what 
had passed within their influence ; but we repeatedly observed 
a tentaculum rapidly contracted curved upon itself, and the ex- 
tremity introduced into the mouth, as in fig. E, which had sud- 
denly been expanded into its quadrangular form for its recep- 
tion, and as suddenly contracted, so that the four bifid lips 
grasped the introduced feeler, which remained a few seconds 
within the stomach, and was then gradually withdrawn and 
again extended to secure another victim. Not only was the ex- 
tremity of the tentacle occasionally introduced; but when the 
creature had secured an object by some of the lower discs, with 
which the whole extent of its surface appeared to be furnished, 
the feeler was doubled upon itself, as seen on the opposite side 
of fig. E, the mouth suddenly and widely expanded, and the re- 
duplication introduced into it, when it again closed upon the ten- 
taculum, and, as in the first instance, it remained a few seconds in 
the stomach and was then gradually withdrawn again: in these 
movements the mouth so closely grasped the tentacle that it ap- 
