402 Mr. E. C. Bousfield on the 



of examining fresh specimens, and his description is but a 

 portion of what has to be said regarding Victor ella. 



I first met with the polyzoon in question last spring, at 

 which time the zooids were solitary, and semi-repent, colour- 

 less, and in shape much like a violin with a straight elongated 

 neck. Not being aware of the observations of Messrs. Kent 

 and Hincks, I communicated particulars and sketches to one 

 or two gentlemen who had special knowledge of the subject ; 

 and Mr. Pennington, of Bolton, first suggested the identity 

 of my find with VictoreJla, though its solitary condition and 

 the remarkable anatomical divergences from published de- 

 scriptions rendered the identification somewhat doubtful. 



I failed to find any further specimens until September, 

 when I came into possession of a considerable quantity, and 

 the results of my examination will be embodied in the follow- 

 ing notes. 



The polypidom consists of a series of slender yellow or 

 brownish tubes, on which at intervals are situated swellings 

 (fig. 1, a, 5, c), in each of which a zooid is developed in the 

 ordinary way from an enlargement oi \hQ funiculus (fig. l,d) 

 or continuous protoplasmic cord which runs through the whole 

 of the tubes of which the colony is composed. From each 

 swelling arise two branches at right angles (fig. 1), and by 

 the growth of these branches and the development of zooecia, 

 from which again other branches arise, the growth of the 

 colony continues, always branching in a rectangular direction, 

 so that a matted mass results. The zooids developed at the 

 nodal points vary widely in dimensions; I have examined 

 some which have reached yjy in. in height, whilst others were 

 not more than ■— in. At the terminations of the branches are 

 to be found, as a rule, the largest specimens, and in the case 

 of these individuals the cell is of much more uniform diameter 

 than in the smaller ones, so that the whole animal is contained 

 within it even when retracted. 



Taking one of these larger specimens as a type, the follow- 

 ing appearances present themselves. 



The tentacles, eight in number, are arranged around the 

 mouth of the animal. They are hollow (fig. 2, 9'), a-nd of almost 

 the same diameter throughout, with the usual row of cilia on 

 either side. These cilia, however, do not form a continuous 

 series, but fringe only the adjacent sides of the tentacles, their 

 place being taken at the apex by a tuft of stiff but very slender 

 setse (tig. 3, h) which are devoid of movement. These setfe 

 extend in a linear series down the outer side of the tentacles, 

 and specially long ones are also found around the ring formed 

 by the fusion of the bases of the latter. 



