360 Mr. H. J. Carter on Spongiophaga Pottsi. 
N.N.W. of Philadelphia), on two other slides, are statoblasts 
of Meyenia Baileyi without both filaments and prolongation 
from the process of the chitinous coat. 
Returning for a moment to the marine species, viz. Spongio- 
phaga communis, it might be observed that the only way to 
ebtain entire filaments (that 1s, with the bulb at each end) is to 
get a fragment of a Hircinia infested with them which has 
not been allowed to dry, by having been put in spirit of 
wine immediately after it has been taken from its place of 
growth. A minute portion of the soft parts, which may be 
found to be entirely composed of the parasitic filaments, may 
then be pulled out with a microscopic hook and put into a 
little shallow vessel containing about half an inch of water, 
after which this minute portion may be gently taken off the 
hook and pulled to pieces with fine needles, twisting the latter 
round and round the vessel so as to dislodge the filaments 
(which, ef course, are now invisible) and cause them to dis- 
engage themselves and float about freely and separately. 
Then taking a glass tube with about one sixth of an inch bore, 
drawn out to about one sixteenth at the lower end, and closing 
the upper or larger aperture forcibly with the fore finger, put 
the free end in the water containing the filaments so as to 
touch the bottom of the vessel, when, on suddenly withdrawing 
the finger, the water will rush into the tube, carrying with it 
perchance one or more entire filaments. Now replace the 
finger gently and transfer the contents to a glass slide by 
blowing also gently through the tube; cover and examine 
with the microscope. Repeat the process if necessary until 
some entire filaments are obtained. 
Having just examined many in this way I have, by deline- 
ating to scale the bulbs at the ends respectively of the same 
filaments in several instances, been able to compare the whole 
together, both in size and shape, whence it seems to me 
not only that one is more ovular than the other (fig. 9, a, 0), 
but that the ovular one is often accompanied by a spiral linea- 
tion (fig. 9,a), although whether this be in the interior or on 
the surface I cannot say; yet sometimes it has very much 
the appearance of the spiral thread of a nematocyst; 
sometimes also there is a minute point or projection at the 
apex or on the side of the bulb (fig. 9, a) ; nor is it easy to 
say, from the minuteness of the latter, whether this is natural 
or adventitious, even if it be always present when unseen. 
To determine satisfactorily whether there is any character- 
istic difference between the two bulbs, and if so what it is, 
would require more time than I have at my disposal; nor 
have I found staining ‘shorten the process or facilitate this 
