1895.] MICROSCOPICAL JOUHNAL. 359 



up the water gently from time to time with a pipette. Several 

 hours were required to completely stupify large specimens. 

 When narcotisation was complete, a few crystals placed in the 

 mouth of the sea-anemone had no effect; but if the process had 

 not gone far enough, the lips of the animal would slowly spread 

 open, and then would follow sometimes a violent contraction of 

 the whole animal. This method was tried upon Metridium 

 marginatum, Sagarda leucolena and Halocampa products with 

 excellent results, the tentacles remaining perfectly expanded 

 after the animals had been transferred to Perenyi's fluid, picro- 

 sulphuric acid, or formalin. The same method applied to 

 Astrangea, Scyphistoma, and various hydroids did not give as 

 good results as those obtained with the sea-anemones. The 

 polyps were not equally affected, so that only portions of the 

 colonies were perfectly expanded. A large Physalia treated in 

 this way was preserved in 4 per cent formalin, with all the 

 tentacles and polyps fully extended. 



Echinoderms. — Star-fishes and sea-urchins were killed with the 

 ambulacral feet and pedicellaria well extended, by placing them 

 upon the aboral surface for a short time in a saturated solution 

 of Epsom salts, and then transferring them to 4 per cent form- 

 alin. The epidermis of the star-fishes, however, was rendered 

 soft, and was subsequently easily rubbed off, but this was 

 probably due to the formalin. 



Specimens of Synapta were readily preserved without any 

 constriction by very slowly and intermittently adding to the 

 ■water, in which they had been allowed to expand, a saturated 

 solution of MgS04 (Epsom salts). 



Vermes. — Most annelids, when placed in saturattd solution of 

 Epsom salts, in a very short time became perfectly limp, and 

 were easily extended upon a glass plate and treated with a fix- 

 ing reagent. Balanoglossus, when taken soon after being col- 

 lected, was preserved in this manner in nearly a perfect state. 

 It was necessary, however, to keep it in position between the 

 edges of two glass slides when the fixing fluid was applied. 

 Good results were obtained with Cirranulus, Amphit>rite, Nereis, 

 Rhyncobolus, Clymenella and Phascolosoma. Phascolosoma, 

 in most cases, was killed with tentacles protruding. Nemertean 

 worms when tr^sferred to a killing fluid before being com- 

 pletely narcotised, sometimes protruded their j)robosces. 



