Dr. Mantell's Observations on the Ventriculites. 435 



XLV. — Reply to Mr. Smith's Remarks on Dr. Mantell's 



Account of the Ventriculites. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 

 It is with great reluctance that I intrude on your indulgence 

 and request permission to notice some of Mr. Smith's animad- 

 versions on my figures and descriptions of the chalk zoophytes 

 which I first distinguished by the name " Ventriculites," in a 

 memoir published in the ' Linnsean Transactions ' in 1815; 

 although I ought perhaps to consider myself as hors da combat, 

 since Mr. Smith concludes his memoir by the assertion, " that 

 the field was entirely untrodden, and the task a new one ;" the 

 nature of those zoophytes " being totally unknown " till he un- 

 dertook to elucidate the subject ! ! 



I should not presume to occupy your pages by a lengthened 

 comment on Mr. Smith's communications, even could I fully 

 comprehend the author's meaning, which in many instances I 

 am unable to do, for his genius has removed a subject, which I 

 once imagined to be simple and easily interpreted, far above my 

 feeble capacity. But I feel that it would be uncourteous to the 

 readers of my works, who indulgently give me credit for truth- 

 fulness and accuracy of observation, were I to pass wholly unno- 

 ticed Mr. Smith's impeachment of my scientific veracity. I shall 

 therefore content myself with affirming, that notwithstanding 

 all the remarks Mr. Smith has inscribed on your pages, I see 

 no reason whatever to alter a single word in the following de- 

 scription of the zoophytes which I designated Ventriculites, ex- 

 tracted from my ' Medals of Creation :' — 



" The original form of the Ventriculite was that of a funnel, or 

 hollow inverted cone, terminating in a point at the base, whence 

 numerous fibres proceed, and by which the zoophyte was attached 

 to other bodies. The outer integument was reticulated — that is, 

 disposed in meshes like network — and the inner surface was studded 

 over with regular openings, the orifices of tubular cells, each of which 

 was probably occupied by a polype. The substance of the polypa- 

 rium or framework of this aggregation of animalcules appears to 

 have been analogous to that of the soft Alcyonia, and to have pos- 

 sessed a common irritability, and been able to contract and expand. 

 This opinion is based on the circumstance that some specimens occur 

 in which the zoophyte is in the form of a nearly flat circular disc, 

 and in others, in- that of a subcylindrical pouch : in the former state, 

 the outer reticulated structure is elongated, while in the latter it is con- 

 tracted and corrugated. The polype-cells are cylindrical and very 

 regular : the flints often present beautiful casts of them, which ap- 

 pear like rows of minute pillars on the inner surface." 



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