PENNATULIDA. 29 



It is well-known that most of the specimens found in collections are fragments; generally the 

 peduncle is wanting, often also the upper end. This, of course, is often owing to the fact that the long 

 and thin colonies with the fragile calcareous axis, are easily broken by the fishing gear, and especially 

 easily at the spot where they rise up from the bottom. But when Kolliker says that he has seen 

 no single specimen undamaged at the upper end, this statement is most likely due to a very common 

 misconception. The fact that a naked end of the calcareous axis, which moreover is abruptly 

 broken, projects from the sarcosoma, is generalh- taken to be due either to a contraction in s])irit of 

 the soft parts of the colony, or to chance mutilation. That the former cannot hold good as a general 

 cause is easily seen: in many cases, the sarcosoma beneath the naked part of the axis is not contracted 

 at all or drawn away from its part of the axis, but wraps this part as firmly as in any otlier part 

 of the colon\-, and moreover specimens just caught and still living show the same feature. If the 

 condition was due to damage, the first thought occurring to one would be of such as might be caused 

 bv the fishing gear. But the same kind of fishing gear may bring up other forms as long and fragile, 

 for instance Fimiculina, in a quite undamaged condition, sometimes even together with Virgularice; 

 and again, there are several signs tending to show that Virgularia and allied forms, while they are 

 still growing undisturbed in tlieir natural element, are already possessed of the naked end of the 

 axis; it is well-known that other organisms, for instance Serpulse, have been found attached to this 

 part'); besides, certain \'irgulariLe and St>'latula; have been observed in places where it was possible 

 to wade out at low water, and draw them up with the hands, or where divers might easily see and 

 take them-); these forms showed the naked axis-stump. Here tlie mutilation cannot be due to the 

 fishing apparatus. ^Marshall') has also been of opinion that the mnltilation might be due to the 

 fact that other sea-animals, especially fishes, had browsed on the tops. To support this supposition, 

 he refers to the fact that fragments, and especially often tops, of Virgularia have frequently been 

 found in the stomachs of haddock and cod. From the description ^Marshall gives of the fragments he 

 takes to be entire tops, it is clearly seen however that the calcareous axis was broken, and that it 

 even i^rojected from the sarcosoma with a small naked part (Oban Penn. p. 56). Kolliker has perhaps 

 also had before him specimens with tops that were perfect >, in the signification in which Marshall 

 uses the word. In the Museum of Copenhagen however, we have a great number of fragments with 

 such perfect tops, and also a by no means small number of colonies, also with perfect i. e. normal 

 apices, from various collections after 1870. When the apex does not show some quite indisputable 

 mark of mutilation of the sarcosoma and the soft parts upon the whole, I regard it as normal; and 

 among the characters of a normal apex is an abruptly cut calcareous axis, whether it ends near the 

 soft parts or projects with a more or less long, naked part. On closer examination such a normal 



M Daly ell 1. c. p. 1S2; Koren and Danielsseu, Fauna litt. Xorv. Ill, p. 19. PI. IV, fig. 3d [Virg. affiius). In our 

 Jlnseuiu are specimens of Virg. miraii/is from Danish seas (Sainso Belt, Great Belt, collected by G. Winther; the Kattegat, 

 Dr. Joh. Petersen), where the top of the rhachis immediately above the .soft parts continues in a long, round prolongation, 

 formed by closely entangled threads of algee intermingled with bristles of .\nnelids, sponge-spicules, vegetable detritus, and particle-s 

 of mud; and the lower part of thi.s enwraps the top of the calcareous axis of the Virgularia. One of these specimens is 80""" 

 long, the extraneous prolongation 35""", a second is 72""", the prolongation 56mm, a third 67"iin, the prolongation 48"""; the 

 specimens mentioned are young stages with wings with three to four polyps. 



^) Darwin, Journal of Researches p. 99 (Stylalula Dariviiiii K611.). Bell (Thurston), Proc. Zool. .Soc. Loud. 1S90, 

 p. 463 [Virgtclaria juncea Pall.). 



31 Oban Penn. p. 59; Rep. Penn. -Triton , p. 133. 



