a remarkable Hydroid Polype. 313 



have an exceedingly remarkable form and internal construc- 

 tion. For if they are examined with the microscope, it Avill 

 be found that they have an oblong-round conformation, 

 broadest at the top, and slightly blunted ; smallest at the 

 bottom and fastened by a very short stem to the branch. If 

 considered still more attentively, it will be seen that these 

 eggs (the internal structure is easily observed in consequence 

 of their transparency,) seem already to contain within them 

 the most important parts of the future polype. For instance, 

 we observe in the middle a part which in form, &c. corre- 

 sponds to the knob in the full-grown animal. This part in 

 the various eggs is of various forms; in the smaller ones, 

 round or oblong ; in the large and best developed, perfectly 

 bottle-shaped. Further, there are observed in the upper or 

 broad end of the egg four roundish projecting knots, which 

 internally are continued as tubes downwards to the base of 

 the bottle-shaped part. One of these knots is always larger 

 and longer than the other three, which are alike, and it ter- 

 minates after a small indentation with another small project- 

 ing knot. It therefore occurs to me as not improbable, that 

 the largest knot, with its interior continuation, developes 

 itself as the stem, while the interior bottle-shaped part forms 

 the head of the polype. However much these eggs at the 

 first glance resemble the egg capsules or fruit depositors in 

 one kind of Sertularia, I was confirmed in the opinion just 

 expressed, partly because I could not observe any eggs 

 within them, but chiefly on account of another observation 

 which appears to me important. In some of the larger eggs, 

 where the above-mentioned internal parts were particularly 

 plain, I observed very evident, indeed powerful movements ; 

 inasmuch as the egg, which seemed already to have reached 

 its full maturity, alternately contracted and expanded itself 

 quickly, and so by this systole and diastole endeavoured to 

 disengage itself from the mother animal. I had no oppor- 

 tunity of observing the disengagement or the further develop- 

 ment of it." 



The language of the above observation is fanciful; but 

 there can be no question of the accuracy of the statements. 



We found the Corymorpha in 10-fathom water, in a sandy 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. Vol. 5. No. 32. July 1840. z 



