ZOOPHYTES. 



43 



The Sertularians, as we have seen, have the calycles arranged 

 symmetrically on each side of the axis. The Plumularians, as 

 the other group are called, have their caly- 

 cles arranged along one side only of stem 

 and branches. The Sertularians are fre- 

 quently spoken of as Sea-firs, the arrange- 

 ment of the calycles giving some species 

 a very close resemblance to the branches of 

 fir-trees. In the Plumularians, the resem- 

 blance much more nearly approaches a 

 feather. 



Hincks, describing 

 Plumularia cornucopia 

 says : " In the present 

 species a conspicuous 

 band of opaque - white 

 encircles the body, like a 

 girdle, a little below the 

 tentacles, and adds much 

 to the beauty of a colony 

 in full life and activity, 

 when its many polypites 

 are in eager pursuit of 

 prey, stretching them- 

 selves forward, and cast- 

 ing forth their flower-like 



wreaths, now suddenly clasping their arms 



together, and then as suddenly flinging them 



back ; now holding them motionless, the tips 



elegantly recurved, and then on some alarm 



shrinking into half their size, and folding 



them together like flowers closing their petals 



when the sun has gone." 



In addition to the calycles in which the polypites live, there are 



special reproductive chambers as in the Sertularians. In this 



Species (P. cornucopia!) " they assume the shape of an inverted 



PLUMULARIA PINNATA. 



PLUMULARMN, 

 PORTION ENLARGED. 



