i 



DENDROSOMA RADIANS. 



Effete matter appears to escape from tlie organism at the base of the 

 tentacula, where it is frequently seen collected, and possibly passes out 

 through those organs, while greatly contracted. 



Whether, like the Hydra or Actinophiys, these creatures have any 

 stinging power, I have not yet satisfied myself ; but once, whilst examining 

 one, I saw a Rotifer, Pterodina jyatina, allow its ciha to come in 

 contact with the tentacles of the Deudrosoma, whereupon it sharply 

 withdrew its ciliary wreath, and shut itself up within its lorica, as if 

 it had been burnt, nor did it venture to put them out again during the 

 two or three hours it was under my notice. This shows that at all 

 events Rotifers do not regard Dendrosomata as desirable company. 



The fact of the food being absorbed by means of suctorial tentacles 

 admits of the animal having a firm outer integument, entirely different 

 from that of Actinophrys or Amoeba, which pass their prey through 

 their bodies ; but, notwithstanding its rigid appearance and probable 

 firmness of texture, it is able to vaiy its form in a remarkable manner, 

 and one which I saw pouring itself from one point to another, after the 

 style of an Amoeba, is sketched at Fig. 2. The arrows show the direction 

 of motion. All its contents appeared to be passing into the bulbs at the 

 end, which were rapidly enlarging, while the other part of the creature 

 was as quickly becoming less. Mr. H. E. Forrest was with me when this 

 took place, and the change occupied so short a time, and was so similar 

 to that of an Amoeba, that the metamorphosed Dendrosoma might easily 

 have been mistaken for one. I may point out here that though 

 the pseudopodial processes, with which Dendrosoma and its allies are 

 armed, are described as tentacles, being used for prehensile purposes, 

 they differ from those of the Hydra, Actinophrys, and, indeed, all other 

 tentacles with which I am acquainted, in the fact that each is a perfect 

 tube, and is furnished by a suctorial arrangement which serves the 

 purpose of a mouth. This feature distinguishes the Acinetina from 

 their allies, forming one of Huxley's convenient divisions of the 

 Infusoria, namely, the Tentaculifera, (the others being the FlageUata 

 and the Ciliata,) though I do not suppose that it invariably holds good, 

 most sharp lines in nature breaking down somewhere. 



I next noticed the modes of reproduction, of which, as before stated, 

 Perty only mentions that of budding, meaning, no doubt, that the 

 tentaculated heads (Fig. Ih) detach themselves when mature, and forna 

 each a new Dendi'osoma, But I could never trace the least signs of a 

 probable separation, as I have previously remarked, each so-called bud 

 always retaining a perfect tubular connection with the stem. Instead of 

 this, I found what I at first thought was a very large ingested Infusorian. 

 This, which I have drawn at Fig. 4a, proved to be a growing embryo. I 

 watched it veiy carefully, until it made its escape in the manner shown 

 at h, where it is seen to be ciliated. I afterwards traced it through the 

 various phases indicated at Figs. 4A, 4B, 4C, and finally saw it approach the 

 parent form as shown at 4D. This process, I feel satisfied, is an asexual 

 mode of reproduction, agreeing as it does with a recognised manner of 



