4« 



GUIDE TO THE CORAL GALLERY, 



Case 3. Ohelia longissima* (Obelia sp., Fig. n) forms veiy slender 



branching - stems ; the cups are borne on ringed pedicels, and 

 resemble wineglasses. Tlie generative polyps, which are borne on a 

 blastostyle, become free Meduste.* The latter are tiny crystal bells 

 with numerous tentacles and with eight litho-cysts ; they often swim 

 with the umbrella everted and the manubrium projecting from the 

 centre of the convexity. 



Case 3a. Sertularia abietina, the Sea Fir Zoophyte (Fig. 12, and specimen 



in Case ;3a), forms clusters of brown pinnately-branched stems from six 

 to twelve inches in height. It is often seen among heaps of seaweed 

 on the shore, or attached to oyster and scallop shells in fishmongers' 

 shops ; the rather large horny cups, which are arranged alternately on 



Fig. 7. 



Diagrams illustrating the gradual degeneration of the Medusa bud into 

 a mere rounded swelling. The black represents the stomach and its 

 continuations ; the lighter shading represents the reproductive cells. 

 A. Attached Medusa ; b. The same with margin of umbrella closed 

 over manubrium ; o, D, e, further stages. (After Lankester, Encyc. 

 Britannica.) 



each side of the branches, are swollen at the base and narrowed at the 

 circular orifice. The oval reproductive capsules are slightly stalked. 



Case 3a. Sertularia argenfea* or the Squirrel's Tail Zoophyte, S. cupressina, 



the Sea Cypress, and Thidaria tlmja, the Bottle Brush Coralline, are 

 ■all expressively named by Ellis from their general appearance. In 

 these species the sessile cups are arranged alternately on opposite 

 sides of the branches. In UydraUmania fakata, the Sickle Coralline, 

 the cups are on one side only. In the five species above referred 

 to the generative polyps (or degenerate Medusge) are permanently 

 attached to a degenerate feeding polyp or blastostyle, the whole 

 being enclosed in a horny capsule. 



Case 3b, Antemiidaria anfejinina, the " Lobster's Horn Coralline, or Sea 



Beard"* (Fig. 13, and specimen in Case 3b), forms long jointed 



