404 



EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE 



been able to trace any other regularity in their arrangement. 

 So far as I have seen, they are so scattered that one, two, or 

 even more contiguous intersepts may be quite destitute of a 

 cinclis. I would not, however, attach too much weight to 

 this negative evidence, since the animal has the power of 

 closing them individually at will, and 

 that so completely that the most careful 

 scrutiny does not detect their presence. 



"Perhaps the best mode of exam- 

 ining them is to put a small specimen 

 of S. diantlius or S. bellis into a narrow 

 parallel-sided glass cell, filled with sea- 

 water. After a while the animal will 

 be much distended; the exhaustion of 

 the oxygen impelling the Anemone to 

 bathe its organs with as large a quan- 

 tity of the fluid as it can inhale. The 

 pellucidity of all the integuments will 

 be thus greatly increased. A strong 



lamplight being now reflected, by means of the mirror, 

 through the animal on the stage of the microscope, an 

 inch or a half-inch object-glass will probably reveal the 

 orifices in question with much distinctness. 



"The appearance of the cinclides may be compared to 

 that which would be presented by the lids of the human 

 eye, supposing these to be reversed; the convexity being 

 inward. Each is an oval depression, with a transverse 

 slit across the middle. When closed, this slit may some- 

 times be discerned merely as a dark line the optical ex- 

 pression of the contact of the two edges; but, when slightly 

 opened, a brilliant line of light allows the passage of the 

 rays from the lamp to the beholder. From this condition 



