136 



THE MICROSCOPE AND ITS REVELATIONS. 



animal from its base; and when there is no external rupture, they are 

 often forced through the wall of the stomach into its cavity, and may be 

 seen hanging out of the mouth. The largest of these capsules, in their 

 unprotected state, are about l-300th of an inch in length; while the 

 thread or dart, in Corynactis Allmanni, when fully extended, is not less 

 than l-8th of an inch, or thirty-seven times the length of its capsule. 1 



FIG. 361. 



FIG. 362. 



Spicules of Alcyonium and Gorgonia^ 



FIG. 363. 



Flliferous Capsules of Actinozoaf A, B, 

 Corynactis Allmanni; c, E, p, Caryophyllia 

 Smithii ; D, G, Actinia crassicornis ; H, Ac- 

 tinia Candida. 



A, Spicules of Oorgania guttata. 



B, Spicules of Muricia elongata. 



529. Of the Alcyonaria a characteristic example is found in the 

 Alcyonium digitatum of our coasts; a lobed sponge-like mass, covered 

 with a tough skin; which is commonly known under the name of ' dead- 

 man's toes/ or by the more elegant name of ( mermaids ' fingers.' When 



1 See Mr. Gosse's " Naturalist's Rambles on the Devonshire Coast," and Prof. 

 Mobius 'Ueber den Bau, etc., der Nesselkapseln einiger Polypen und Quailen,' in 

 " Abhandl. Naturw. Vereins zu Hamburg," Band v., 1866. 



