404 Mr. E. C. Eonsfield on the 



passes down to end in an enlargement attached to the wall 

 of the tube^ which is continuous below with the remainder of 

 the general cord. 



The intestine (fig. 3, e) arises from the stomach at a point 

 opposite to the entrance or cardiac orifice. At the point 

 where it commences there is within the stomach a semilunar 

 valve-like flap on tlie gastric wall, and this, which forms a 

 pylorus, is ciliated, unlike any other portion of the stomach. 

 At this point a pellet of food may be seen to be constantly 

 whirling round in a manner strongly suggestive of the action 

 of the pellet-forming organ of Melicerta ringens. 



The walls of the intestine are thin, and its upper portion 

 is surrounded by a mass of granular protoplasmic material. 

 The anus is not, as generally stated, situated immediately 

 below the tentacles. The intestine terminates halfway 

 between this point and the stomach (fig. 3, /), and for the 

 remainder of the distance a hollow muscular tube passes 

 upward, and ends at the spot usually assigned to the anal 

 orifice (fig. 3, g). 



The process of defecation is accomplished as follows : — 

 The current caused by the reversed peristaltic action of the 

 stomach drives the flap before spoken of against the cardiac 

 orifice, thus preventing regurgitation, and the pyloric orifice 

 opening, the matter about to be rejected is propelled into the 

 intestine, the pyloi'ic sphincter closing the opening behind it. 

 The intestine is then drawn up by the muscular tube attached 

 round the anus, until this last is beyond the membrane which 

 closes the cell, and the intestine thereupon, and only there- 

 upon, contracts and expels its contents. The anus then sinks 

 down to its normal position, until the time arrives for a repe- 

 tition of the process. This arrangement is so remarkable 

 that I am glad to be corroborated by the authority of one so 

 competent as Prof. Allman, who writes : — " Your remark 

 regarding the termination of the intestinal tube and its action 

 in the expulsion of the ejectamenta is interesting, and now 

 that you have called my attention to it, I think I have 

 noticed the same phenomenon in other species." 



The whole of the organs are invested by a delicate mem- 

 brane, which is continued upwards to a point just beyond the 

 commencement of the tentacles (fig. 2, e), whence it is reflec- 

 ted on to the inner surface of the tube of the animal. The 

 tube is composed of a transparent homogeneous substance, 

 the lower ]Jortion being rigid and the upper flexible. The 

 rigid portion is strengthened at intervals by transverse bars 

 of a transparent material, free at either end. The flexible 

 portion is dilated near its centre, and contracts again slightly 



