46 



NA TURE 



\Nov. 8, 1883 



THE OBAN PENNATULIDA^ 



nPHIS report is a very thorough piece of work. It consists of 

 a detailed and finished description of specimens dredged 

 during an excursion of the Birmingham Natural History Society 

 in July, 1881. Tlie specimens all belonged to the three species 

 Funiciilina i;uailra)igular!s, Poiiialtila phosphorca, and Virgii- 

 laria mirabilis. The language in which they are described is 

 very distinct and lucid, though perhaps some criticism may be 

 allowed as to the scale of measurement used and as to a certain 

 point in the nomenclature. Measurements are given in the 

 decimal divisions of an inch, instead of the metrical system, 

 which is so much more satisfactory. The axial portion of a 

 Pennatulid is described as consisting of two parts — the stalk and 

 the rachis, the latter being the polyp-bearing portion ; and the 

 word "stem" is used for the calcareous rod running through the 

 axis of both rachis and stalk. "Stem" would naturally mean 

 both the stalk and rachis together as opposed to the polyp- 

 leaves. "Core" might be suggested as a better term for the 

 axial skeleton. The example of Kolliker has been followed in 

 the use of the terms "polyps" and "zooids" for the two 

 kinds of individuals. In describing the "stomach," its inner 

 lining membrane is called ectoderm, but no reference is made to 

 he fact that the evidence for its being ectodermic is embryo- 

 lo^jical. 



The description and figures given of Funiculina are the first 

 published in English which deal with the internal structure ; 

 and they are in some respects more complete and perfect than 

 those of Kolliker in his monograph on the Pennatulida. The 

 examination of the largest of the specimens, which was thirty- 

 nine inches long, has finally disproved the validity of the distinc- 

 tion maintained by Verrill and Gray to exist between the Scotch 

 Funktdina, and that of the Mediterranean and Scandinavia. 

 The supposed species, F. Forbesii, is simply the younger form, 

 the largest of the Oban specimens being in all respects a typical 

 F, qttadrangiilaris. 



A veiT interesting part of the work is that which refers to 

 the reproductive organs of Pcnnatiila phosphorea ; the male and 

 female elements are here fully described and figured for the first 

 time. The fact of the sexes being distinct was ascertained by 

 Lacaze Duthiers, but neither he nor Kolliker give figures or 

 satisfactory descriptions of the sexual organs. The male ele- 

 ments are shown here to be produced in spherical capsules, 

 which at first sight resemble ova. 



In the account of I'irgularia the process of the origin of new 

 polyps is described. The stomachs arise as invaginations of 

 the surface of the rachis into the cavity of large canals lined by 

 endoderm. 



An ingenious discussion of the reason why specimens of 

 Virgularia when dredged are almost always truncated at the 

 upper end leads to the conclusion that the loss is due to the 

 attacks of fish. 



The descriptions are followed by a complete critical list of the 

 literature, and an account of the geographical distribution both 

 in the sea and in museums. The figures are very clear, and at 

 the same time artistic. It is much to be regretted that the 

 condition of the specimens did not allow the histology to be 

 completely made out. No doubt the Birmingham Society will 

 pay greater attention to the preservation of material for this 

 purpose on future occasions. J. T. Cunningham 



NOTES FROM THE OTAGO UNIVERSITY 



MUSEUM 

 III- — On some Embryos of" Callorhynchus aniarcticus " 

 COME weeks since I obtained from a fisherman a number of 

 eggs of Callorhynchus antarctUiis from Wickliffe Bay, 

 Otago Peninsula. As I believe this is the first time any observa- 

 tions have been made on the development of the Holocephali, the 

 following report of remarks made at a meeting of the Otago 

 Institute on May 7 may be of some interest to morphologists : — 



" The eggs were found buried in the sand a little below low- 

 water mark, a position which would seem to cast some doubt on 

 the generally accepted theory which accounts for the peculiar 

 form of the egg-shell by supposing it to have acquired a protec- 

 tive resemblance to kelp. The cavity for the embryo has an 

 elongated pyriform shape, the broad end being anterior, and the 

 narrower or posterior end produced into a long canal. On what 



' Report by Prof. A. Milnes Marshall, M.D., D.Sc, and William P. 

 Marshall. BirminghaJii, 1882. 



may be described as the ' hairy ' in contradistinction to the 

 smooth side of the egg-shell, there is on each side of the middle 

 line at the anterior end a longitudinal slit in the wall of the 

 cavity, which serves to allow of currents to and from the latter 

 for respiratory pnrpo-es. The anterior ends of these slits are 

 united by a weak place in the wall of the egg-shell ; very slight 

 pressure from within causes rupture along this line and produces 

 a valve, the lateral boundaries of which are formed by the 

 respiratory slits, its anterior boundary by the line of rupture. 

 This valve readily opens outw ards by pressure on its inner face, 

 and serves for the exit of the foetus ; pressure upon its outer 

 face only forces it against the opposite wall of the cavity. 



" The advanced embryo lies in the cavity in such a position 

 that its head lies at about the level of the base or hinge of the 

 valve, and therefore some distance from the anterior end of the 

 cavity, its tail lies in the narrow posterior prolongation of the 

 cavity, which fits it accurately ; its right side lies almost in- 

 varialily against the smooth, its left against the hairy side of the 

 egg-shell. 



" Unfortunately the embryos in all the four dozen eggs ex- 

 amined were in a tolerably advanced stage of development, so 

 that there will be little chance of getting younger stages until 

 next autumn. The youngest obtamed are about four inches 

 long; they have large yolk-sacs (i'75 inch in length), and very 

 long external gills projecting from the opercular aperture ; the 

 snout has acquired the characteristic form, but the tail shows 

 as yet no trace of heterocercality, nor the skin of the silvery 

 character it has in the adult, being in the fresh state translu'ient 

 and highly vascular. The yolk-sac is remarkable ; it is longi- 

 tudinally elongated, and produced into numerous blunt paired 

 projections, which are tolerably constant in position ; one pair of 

 these always lies to the anterior end of the dorsal surface of the 

 yolk-sac, and between them the snout of the embryo is invariably 

 situated. The umbilical or somatic stalk is practically obsolete, 

 the foetus being sessile upon the yolk-sac. 



"As in Elasmobranchs the yolk-sac is gradually drawn into 

 the crelome, and so consists in advanced stages of an internal 

 and an external portion, the former continually incrersing at the 

 expense of the latter. As the external portion diminishes in size, 

 it loses ils blood-vessels, and its projections gradually disappear. 

 In the latest stage obtained, the external portion is not more than 

 0'5 inch long, the internal portion being fully 1*25 inch in length, 

 and causing a great distension of the abdominal walls. In this 

 stage also, the external gills are absorbed, and the adult characters 

 of the integument attained." 



The foregoing description appeared in the Nciu Zealand 

 Journal of Science for this month. T. Jeffery Parker 



Dunedin, N.Z., July 13 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Oxford. — The delegates of the Common University Fund 

 have agreed to appoint a Reader in Anthropology, so as to 

 utilise the presence of Dr. I'ylor for University instruction. In 

 a Convocation to be held on November 15, a decree will be sub- 

 mitted to the House, fixing the Reader's stipend at 200/. a year, 

 on condition that he lecture at least once a week in each of the 

 three terms, and receive students for informal instruction and 

 assistance. 



A Scholarship in Natural Science is offered this term by 

 Wadham College. Candidates may offer either Animal Mor- 

 phology, Botanical Morphology, or Physiology. They will also 

 be examined in Elementary i^hemistiy and Physics. Weight 

 will also be given to a knowledge of French or German. Can- 

 didates must send in their names to the Warden on or before 

 November 15. 



Cambridge. — Dr. H. Sidgwick has been elected Knightbridge 

 Professor of Moral Philo ophy. Prof. Bonney, F.R.S., has been 

 approved for the degree of Sc. D. Dr. Routh has been elected Hon. 

 Fellow of Peterhouse ; and Pr. fessors Dewar and M. J. M. Hill 

 have been electt-d Ordinary Fellows. Messrs. A. G. Greenhill 

 and R. R. Webb will be the Examiners in the Mathematical 

 Tripos of 1874. 1 he hcmorary degree of M.A. has been con- 

 ferred on Prof. Macalister, F.R.S. Messrs. J. A. Fleming .and 

 S. L. Hart, both disunguished Natural Science graduates, have 

 been elected Fellows of St. John's. 



Dr. Gaskell, F. R.S., is to be approved as a Teacher of Phy- 

 siology, Dr. i. Darwin as a Teacher of Biology, and Mr. G. 15. 



