﻿8 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  which, 
  like 
  the 
  group 
  Pennatulidte, 
  have 
  a 
  stout 
  axis, 
  with 
  branches 
  either 
  

   side, 
  arranged 
  regularly 
  in 
  plume-like 
  style, 
  or 
  a 
  " 
  very 
  slender 
  stem 
  and 
  very 
  

   short 
  lateral 
  polyp-bearing 
  pinnules 
  or 
  processes 
  along 
  it 
  (the 
  Virgularidse) 
  ; 
  

  

  * 
  * 
  * 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  have 
  a 
  slender 
  stem, 
  and 
  the 
  polyps 
  arranged 
  

   along 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  it 
  (the 
  Pavonariada?) 
  ; 
  and 
  still 
  others 
  a 
  terminal 
  cluster 
  of 
  

   polyps 
  (the 
  Umbellularid*). 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  species 
  secrete 
  a 
  slender 
  horny 
  axis, 
  and 
  have 
  slender 
  cal- 
  

   careous 
  spicules 
  among 
  the 
  tissues, 
  somewhat 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  Gorgonidaj."* 
  

  

  This 
  internal 
  horny 
  axis 
  is 
  also 
  described 
  as 
  " 
  bony"f 
  by 
  other 
  writers 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  fleshy 
  substance, 
  of 
  a 
  consistence 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Actinia, 
  which, 
  

   being 
  largely 
  composed 
  of 
  water, 
  leaves 
  but 
  little 
  solid 
  matter 
  when 
  dried, 
  

   which 
  is 
  brushed 
  off 
  or 
  crumbles 
  away 
  with 
  very 
  little 
  handling. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Pennatute, 
  or 
  Sea-pens, 
  the 
  central 
  stalk 
  or 
  axis 
  is 
  of 
  moderate 
  length 
  

   and 
  the 
  pinnaj 
  rather 
  long, 
  presenting 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  feather 
  ; 
  or 
  as 
  La- 
  

   marck 
  said, 
  " 
  it 
  seems, 
  in 
  fact, 
  as 
  if 
  nature, 
  in 
  forming 
  this 
  compound 
  animal, 
  

   had 
  endeavored 
  to 
  copy 
  the 
  external 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  bird's 
  feather." 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  some 
  genera, 
  Virgularia 
  and 
  Pavonaria, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  " 
  sea- 
  

   rushes" 
  has 
  been 
  given, 
  the 
  central 
  stem 
  is 
  very 
  much 
  prolonged, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  

   measuring 
  between 
  three 
  and 
  four 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  polypiferous 
  lobes 
  are 
  

   comparatively 
  short." 
  | 
  

  

  To 
  either 
  the 
  sea-pens 
  (Pennatulidae), 
  or 
  the 
  Umbellate 
  corals 
  (Umbellulari- 
  

   da?), 
  I 
  believe 
  these 
  specimens 
  belong; 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  groups 
  indicated, 
  I 
  am 
  

   inclined 
  to 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  ; 
  said 
  group 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  a 
  " 
  Polyp- 
  

   ary 
  free, 
  simple 
  elongated, 
  with 
  the 
  polyps 
  at 
  the 
  summit 
  ; 
  axis 
  stony, 
  inarticu- 
  

   late, 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  fleshy 
  cortex 
  ; 
  polyps 
  large, 
  terminal, 
  arranged 
  in 
  an 
  um- 
  

   bellate 
  manner 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  polypary." 
  J 
  

  

  Figuier 
  remarks 
  that 
  " 
  Les 
  Onibellulaires 
  ont 
  une 
  tres-longue 
  tige, 
  soutenue 
  

   par 
  un 
  os 
  de 
  memo 
  longueur 
  et 
  terminee 
  au 
  sommet 
  seulement 
  par 
  un 
  bouquet 
  

   de 
  polypes. 
  "II 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  physiological 
  phenomena 
  which 
  the 
  Pennatula 
  present 
  is 
  extremely 
  in- 
  

   teresting, 
  since 
  it 
  exhibits 
  the 
  example 
  of 
  a 
  truly 
  composite 
  animal, 
  that 
  is, 
  one 
  

   in 
  which 
  animals, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  in 
  number, 
  really 
  perfect 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  comports 
  with 
  

   the 
  grade 
  of 
  organization 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  belong, 
  form 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  living 
  

  

  * 
  * 
  * 
  body, 
  serving 
  as 
  an 
  intermedium 
  for 
  nutrition 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  individuals, 
  

   so 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  all 
  nourished 
  together 
  in 
  a 
  mediate 
  manner 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  this 
  

   common 
  portion 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  form 
  a 
  part. 
  

  

  The 
  nutriment 
  which 
  favorable 
  circumstances 
  have 
  placed 
  within 
  the 
  reach 
  

   of 
  one 
  individual, 
  nourishes 
  that 
  individual 
  first, 
  and 
  then, 
  by 
  extension, 
  nour- 
  

   ishes 
  the 
  common 
  stem 
  ; 
  and 
  thus 
  the 
  other 
  polypi, 
  which 
  constitute 
  organic 
  

   portions 
  of 
  it, 
  receive 
  their 
  share."1[ 
  

  

  * 
  Ibid, 
  page 
  91. 
  

  

  t 
  Dallas, 
  in 
  " 
  Orr's 
  Circle 
  of 
  the 
  Sciences." 
  

  

  § 
  Dallas, 
  Ibid. 
  

  

  t 
  Manual 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  Travellers, 
  page 
  357. 
  

  

  II 
  La 
  Vie 
  et 
  les 
  Mceurs 
  des 
  Animanx, 
  Paris, 
  1866. 
  

  

  t 
  Cuvier 
  ; 
  MoUusca 
  and 
  Radiata, 
  by 
  Grifiath 
  and 
  Pidgeon. 
  London, 
  1834. 
  

  

  