122 THE MADREPORE. 



But are these frilled bands ovaries ? A specimen 

 that was broken longitudinally into two nearly equal 

 portions, I was keeping in a glass cell for examination, 

 hoping to see the commencement of the process of 

 reproduction of the parts. Both the portions of the 

 fractured animal appeared to be in good health, not- 

 withstanding the accident, and were so placed in the 

 glass (which had parallel sides) as to be highly con- 

 venient for observation. I wished to see the process 

 of feeding, now that only half a mouth was possessed 

 by each ; and therefore presented to each a minute 

 morsel of raw beef. The interior of the animal was 

 opposite my eye, as I watched it with a lens. The 

 lips slowly expanded and embraced the morsel exactly 

 as usual, to the degree that their imperfect condition 

 permitted, and when this was eftected, I saw with 

 surprise, that the salmon-coloured frills from the in- 

 terior slowly reared themselves up one by one, and 

 appressed their surfaces and extremities (which ap- 

 peared somewhat dilated), to the sides of the morsel, 

 embracing it closely on that side which (on account 

 of the fracture) was open, but not confining them- 

 selves to that side. These phenomena were the same 

 in the other specimen, and were repeated in each, on 

 subsequent occasions, whenever fed. 



My first inference was that these organs were per- 

 forming a part analogous to the chyliferous system of 

 higher animals, absorbing those juices from the food, 

 w^iich were destined to nourish the vitality of the 

 Coral. But having detached a minute portion of one 

 of the bands, I submitted it to an uniformly graduated 

 pressure on the stage of the microscope, when I found 



