Victorella pavida of Saville Kent. 403 



The tentacular crown rests upon the upper part of the 

 pharjnx (fig. 2, a, h, fig. 3, a). This is a pyramidal sac with 

 thick walls, formed of radiating prismatic fibres, bj which it 

 is rendered capable of great and very rapid dilatation. The 

 upper margin is thinned out to form the circular lip (fig. 2,6), 

 which contains a sphincter muscle, and jast below a deep 

 constriction runs round the outer wall (fig. 2, c). This con- 

 striction, into which the cavities of the tentacles open, is in 

 free communication with the perivisceral space below, and 

 this is the only trace of a vascular system which I have been 

 able to discover. When contracted the whole of the cavity 

 within the pharynx, except a small triangular ciliated space 

 within the mouth, is obliterated, and three radiating folds take 

 its place. At its termination the pharynx communicates with 

 the gizzard (fig. 3, 5), a slight sphincter-like ring marking 

 the separation. The possession of a gizzard is denied to 

 Victorella by Mr. Kent, but its existence is not difficult to 

 make out with a power of 200 diameters, whilst it is verj easy 

 with anything approaching 400. The point is, moreover, put 

 beyond dispute by some instantaneous photographs which I 

 have succeeded in taking with an exposure of |- second or 

 thereabouts to magnesium light*. 



In these photographs the double sphincter, the upper part 

 belonging to the gizzard and the lower to the stomach, is 

 most clearly shown (fig. 3, c). 



The gizzard is simply a thin-walled sac, without cilia, bat 

 faintly striated transversely, and showing under a high power 

 traces of the same honeycomb arrangement as that presented 

 by the bases of the prismatic fibres of the pharynx. It is 

 separated from the stomach by the sphincters just referred to, 

 and between the two a slight groove exists, marking clearly 

 the point of separation. 



The stomach (fig. 3, d) is a long thick-walled tabe, the 

 lower part of which is of a deep yellowish-brown colour, the 

 walls showing numerous granules and small oil-globules. 

 The lower portion of the stomach is continuous by its outer 

 wall with the funiculus (fig. 3, z), which is colourless, and 



* These pliotograplis were taken on the Autotjpe Company's Chal- 

 lenge plates, with a camera extended to 8 feet, in order to obtain depth 

 by the use of a low power. In conjunction with my cousin, Mr. E. 

 Shepherd, I am making a series of experiments in this direction, and the 

 results so far obtained hold out great promise of future success. I look 

 forward chiefly to being able to obtain accurate outlines of the principal 

 features, which may, if necessary, be worked up by hand, so as to get rid 

 of the inexactitude which, to some extent, must always affect the most 

 finished drawings made by hand and eye alone from living and moving 

 objects. 



28* 



