AFFINITIES OF PEDICELLIXA. 215 



of contraction, though not to any great extent. The 

 creeping stem, however, which appears to be homoge- 

 neous with the foot-stalks, has no power of contraction. 

 The stem and stalks are transparent, of a yellowish 

 hue, shewing a fibrous texture, or perhaps one com- 

 posed of iiTegular lengthened cells. By contraction 

 and flexure it is thrown into annular wrinkles, from 

 the appearance of which I should judge the substance 

 to be coriaceous. Something like a fibrous core can 

 be discerned traversing its axis, which can be traced 

 through the slender constricted joint into the body, 

 whence it dilates as it passes upward. From analogy 

 in stalked Rotifera, I conclude this to be a fascia of 

 muscles, perhaps becoming two bands in the body, 

 and passing upwards on opposite sides to the head ; 

 their office being the retractation of the tentacular disk. 

 The opacity of the integument precludes the sight of 

 any other muscles, or of any nervous cords, if such 

 exist. 



The structure of this zoophyte seems to point it out 

 as osculant between the Anthozoa and the Polyzoa, 

 though manifesting no very close affinity with the 

 normal genera of either. It is interesting also as 

 being evidently a link by which the Zoophyta are con- 

 nected with the Rotifera, since it certainly approaches 

 nearer to Stephanoceros, and Flosciilaria than any 

 other Polype yet discovered. 



After these observations were made, I obtained 

 specimens of much larger size and in great profu- 

 sion, entwined among the stems of a Crista, from low- 

 water off the Tunnel. It was a beautiful sight to look 

 at the hundreds of heads all in active motion, the 



