26 Messrs. Giles and Clarke on a species of Zoophyte 



III. — A few remarks upon a species of Zoophyte which has been 

 discovered in the New Docks of Ipswich. By Mr. Edwin Giles 

 and Dr. W. B. Clarke. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 14 Berners Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. 



The Zoophyte which is the object of the following remarks was 

 discovered in the New Salt-water Docks of Ipswich in Suffolk, 

 and brought under my notice by Mr. Edwin Giles, who was then 

 in possession of several fine and vigorous specimens. The ani- 

 mal appears white, or of a delicate flesh-colour and semitrans- 

 parent ; of an obconical form ; from a quarter to half an inch in 

 length, exclusive of the tentacula, which are about three or four 

 times the length of the body. The base is furnished with a more 

 or less extensive disc for attachment ; the tentaculiferous extre- 

 mity is circular and provided with from sixteen to twenty-one 

 long tentacles and a subquadrangular central aperture or mouth, 

 capable of rapid and very considerable expansion and contrac- 

 tion. The circumference of the disc is bordered by an apparently 

 roundish and slightly thickened margin from which the tenta- 

 cula proceed ; whilst the disc is furnished with four subovate 

 bodies, each placed diametrically opposite to another having an 

 orifice-like appearance and extending to the base of the tentacle 

 which is nearest to it : these bodies are also coincident each with 

 one of the sub-bifid lobes of the mouth, as seen in the woodcut. 

 These animals are extremely interesting from the elegance of 

 their form and the rapidity and peculiarity of their movements. 

 We had an opportunity of observing them whilst busily engaged 

 in securing their prey, probably consisting of infusorial animals, 

 which however were so small that we could not ascertain what 

 had passed within their influence ; but we repeatedly observed 

 a tentaculum rapidly contracted curved upon itself, and the ex- 

 tremity introduced into the mouth, as in fig. E, which had sud- 

 denly been expanded into its quadrangular form for its recep- 

 tion, and as suddenly contracted, so that the four bifid lips 

 grasped the introduced feeler, which remained a few seconds 

 within the stomach, and was then gradually withdrawn and 

 again extended to secure another victim. Not only was the ex- 

 tremity of the tentacle occasionally introduced ; but when the 

 creature had secm'ed an object by some of the lower discs, with 

 which the whole extent of its surface appeared to be furnished, 

 the feeler was doubled upon itself, as seen on the opposite side 

 of fig. E, the mouth suddenly and widely expanded, and the re- 

 duplication introduced into it, when it again closed upon the ten- 

 taculum, and, as in the first instance, it remained a few seconds in 

 the stomach and was then gradually withdrawn again : in these 

 movements the mouth so closely grasped the tentacle that it ap- 



