THE SPICUL.E. 81 



Around the neck of the expanded Polype, that is, 

 just below the base of the petals, there are seen by 

 means of a lens, a number of short lines placed trans- 

 versely. With a higher power, on the animal being 

 subjected to pressure, these are found to be calcareous 

 spiculae, arranged in a singular manner, as seen at 

 fig. 2. They are fusiform, and slightly knot- 

 ted. The basal part of the animal is also studded 

 with minute points ; these likewise prove to be 

 spiculae, but of different form and appearance, (fig. 3.) 

 each consisting of a star of six points, all truncate and 

 digitate. These are scattered all over the base, for 

 about one-fourth of the height of the Polype, but 

 there are rounded accumulations or constellations of 

 these stars among the rest, where they are densely 

 crowded together. These clusters seem to be arranged 

 one in each interspace of the septa ; the former kind 

 runs up in points into the base of each petal. 



When the polypidom is carefully cut open length- 

 wise, it is seen to be permeated by canals running 

 throughout from the base to all parts of the surface, 

 where they dilate a little and form the cells, which 

 contain the several polypes. Under a microscope, 

 the substance which separates the cells, is seen to be 

 spongiose, containing a great number of spiculse of 

 much larger size than those of the polype-skin. They 

 vary in form, but follow one model, and much resemble 

 very gnarled branches of oak, with the branchlets 

 broken off", leaving ragged ends. I have figured some 

 of them at fig. 4. 



EOLIS DESPECTA, ETC. 



In the large tide-pool at Petit Tor, I pulled up by 



