330 HISTORY OF BEITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



states, " My observations show that this communication is 

 through the iutertentacular organ, and that whatever pur- 

 pose it may subserve besides, in the economy of the Bryo- 

 zoon, it is at certain seasons the channel through which 

 cercarice are ejected from the visceral cavity. The con- 

 nection proved to exist between the ciliated organ and the 

 cercarifB which must be regarded as spermatozoic bodies 

 may be accepted as conclusive evidence that it is subservient 

 in some way to the function of generation." 



Since I wrote the above, I put into a tumbler of sea- 

 water a small fragment of Odonthalia dentata, on which I 

 saw there were zoophytes. On applying a pocket-lens, I 

 observed a very perfect specimen of the small creeping va- 

 riety of Sertularia rugosa, and I was much struck with the 

 sculpture of the large vesicles, resembling the finest cut 

 crystal vases. The pretty cells were closely set in alternate 

 order, and from several of them the purely white polypes 

 were fully expanded. Then I observed a beautiful little 

 specimen of Coryne pusilla, var. muscoides, with many live 

 polypes, intermingled with oval vesicles. My attention 

 was then caught by Membranipora pilosa, a very common 

 object, but even more interesting than either of the 

 others, for there was more life about it. The little 



