ZOOLOaY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 65 



Eound the edge of the velum are a number of organs believed to 

 be sensory ; each consists of a small " ectodermal pocket," containing 

 a number of large cells which are of two kinds ; those on the outside 

 are more slender and less granular than those in the interior, with 

 which, however, as well as with the ordinary ectodermic cells, they 

 are connected by insensible gradations. No connection was observed 

 between these and the ganglion-cells, and not a single ganglionic 

 corpuscle could be detected among them. Seeing, however, that the 

 ganglionic cells are only developed in connection with the muscles, 

 it is not to be wondered at that they are absent from these marginal 

 sense-organs. 



When the animals are kept in an aquarium for some time, the 

 marginal bodies rapidly degenerate, the cells becoming fused together 

 and the whole organ presenting the appearance of a fused granular 

 mass, which causes them to resemble glandular organs. 



Bermudan Medusse.* — J. Walter Fewkes gives a list and some 

 account of the free jelly-fishes found in Castle Harbour, Bermuda, in 

 May and June 1882. Among them is the representative of a new 

 genus, Oceanopsis, which differ from other Oceanidse by possessing 

 four otocysts, from the neighbourhood of each of which, on the bell 

 margin, there arise small tentacular filaments. One specimen of 

 BMzopJiysa filiformis was observed to be more than three feet in 

 length. 



Porifera. 



Alleged new Type of Sponge-f — Under the name Camaraphy- 

 sema dbscnra J. A. Eyder describes and figures (from a single dead 

 specimen) a lobate mass, chiefly made up of chambers lined by 

 nucleated columnar cells resting on a basement membrane. The 

 chambers contained ova in different stages of development ; no collar- 

 cells, sponge-mesoderm, fibres, or spicules were observed. From 

 these points it will be sufficiently evident that the author has been 

 mistaken in assigning the organism to this group. He mentions 

 eversible funnels as lying in the mouths of the superficial chambers, 

 and possibly the Bryozua would more fitly receive this form, which, 

 however, to be properly determined, should be studied in the living 

 state. 



Biology and Anatomy of Clione.| — The first question propounded 

 by N. Nassonow is, " How does the sponge make its way into the 

 hard calcareous structures, and how does it complete its destructive 

 work ? " To answer this question he cultivated young sponges on 

 thin transparent calcareous lamellae ; the larvae, after a free stage, 

 settled on the plates, and soon a rosette-shaped mark appeared ; 

 the sponge gave off thin processes which passed into the substance 

 of the plate, and followed the contour lines of the rosette ; about a 

 day after the sponge settled a rosette-shaped particle was taken out 

 of the plate ; the body of the sponge entered the depression thus 



* Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Camb., xi. (1883) pp. 79-90 (1 pL). 

 t Proc. U. S. National Mus., iii. (1881) pp. 269-70 (7 figs.). 

 X Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Zool., xxxix. (1883) pp. 295-.S08 (2 pis.). 

 Ser. 2.— Vol. IV. F 



