FUNICULINA QUADRANGULARIS. 8 



preparations obtained in the above manner, applies, except when 

 otherwise specified, to the largest of the specimens obtained alive. 



General Account. 



Finiictilina is a compound or colonial Actinozoon, whose general 

 appearance is shown in Plate I., Fig. 1. It consists of a cylindrical, 

 fleshy axial portion, the lower ith of which is bare, forming the 

 stalk (Fig. 1. b), which in the natural condition is planted in the mud 

 of the sea bottom, while the upper ^ths, forming the racJiis (Fig. 1, a) 

 is thickly studded with the individual animals or polypes, each of 

 which is similar in structure to an ordinary sea-anemone. 



The axial portion, which is gracefully curved as shown in the 

 figure, is traversed throughout its whole length by a solid calcareous 

 stem, quadrangular in section, and shown In Fig. 2 free from the 

 investing fleshy substance or ccenencliym. 



At the bottom of the rachis the polypes are few and small ; but 

 passing upwards they gradually increase in both number and size, 

 attaining a maximum in the upper third. They are not placed all 

 round the rachis, but on three sides only, leaving the fourth bare. This, 

 which is the inner or conc.ive side of the curve formed by the whole 

 rachis, is referred to as the ventral surface (Figs. 3 and 5); the opposite 

 or convex face (Figs. 1, 3, audi) is the dorsal surface, while the sides are 

 referred to as rigid and left lateral surfaces respectively. 



The whole pen is of an ivory-white colour* except the stalk, 

 which is yellowish brown. The surface is covered with a slimy mucus, 

 and is in the living animal, according to both Forbes and Thomson, f 

 brilliantly phosphorescent. 



The term feather, which is often used to designate the rachis and 

 poh"pes together, calls to mind the fanciful name Penna del pesce 

 pavone (feather of the peacock fish) given to FuuicuUna by the 

 Neapolitan fishermen, under which name it was described in 1757 by 

 Bohadsch, the discoverer of this very curious Sea-pen. 



Anatomical Description. 



I.— The Stalk and Puichis.— 



The stalk in the large specimen measures six inches in length. 

 Along its gi'eater part it is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0'15 inch ; 

 toward the lower end it enlarges to 0-21 inch. The last f-in. is bent 

 rather sharply, nearly at right angles to the main axis (Fig. 1), and ends 

 in a blunt point. The upper part of the stalk diminishes gradually 

 in size, loses its cylindiucal form and becomes quadrangular, the lateral 

 diameter slightly exceeding the dorso-veutral one. At the junction 

 of stalk and rachis the actual measurements are — lateral diameter, 

 O-lSiu. ; dorso-veutral diameter, O'lOin. 



The rachis gradually increases in thickness in passing upwards 

 from its junction with the stalk; it also loses its quadrangular form 



* Both Forbes (" Jobuston's British Zoophytes." 2nd ed., 1S47, p 1G5) 

 Thomson (" Depths of the Sea," 1873, p, 149) describe the living Funiculina a 

 rose-coloured. 



t Forbes, loc. cit. Thomson, op. cit. 



