302 ARTHUR DENDY. 



this specimen was almost certainly dredged in its present condition ; 

 it was certainly not intentionally eviscerated, and it is hardly possible 

 that it could have regenerated to such an extent in the aquarium 

 before I came to examine it, for owing to the great heat of the weather 

 and other causes I found it impossible to keep the Comatulce alive in 

 the aquaria for more than a very few clays. The specimen referred to 

 has arrived at the stage represented by one of the intentionally-evisce- 

 rated specimens from Naples which had been regenerating for about 

 nineteen days. In fact, although this Comatula in many respects 

 differs from a normal one in appearance, yet regeneration is fairly 

 complete. The differences may be enumerated as follows : (1) the disc 

 is of a very light colour, while in normal specimens it is usually con- 

 siderably pigmented ; (2) the disc is flat, while in normal specimens it 

 is usually strongly convex ; (3) the lappets bordering the ambulacral 

 grooves around the mouth are very slightly developed ; (4) the anal 

 cone is very small; (5) the line of tear, caused by the removal of the 

 old visceral mass is still marked by the cessation of the pigment spots 

 bordering the ambulacral grooves. In all these particulars this speci- 

 men agrees with a regenerated specimen of about nineteen days and 

 differs from a normal one. 



It has been already stated that in some specimens the visceral mass 

 may be very readily removed from the calyx, while in others it adheres 

 to it very tightly. I happened to be at Millport at what seemed to 

 be the height of the breeding season for Antedon rosaceus (July), the 

 pinnules being commonly much distended with ova which were fre- 

 quently discharged into the surrounding water in great numbers. 



On examining my specimens after my return I noticed that out of 

 all which I had preserved of the specimens dredged without their 

 visceral masses, hardly one had the pinnules distended to any consider- 

 able extent with genital products. It appears to me also that usually 

 those specimens which most readily part with their visceral masses 

 are those in which the pinnules are least distended- with genital pro- 

 ducts, while, if the pinnules are much distended, the visceral mass is 

 more firmly attached to the calyx. It is perhaps possible to trace a 

 connection between these facts, for, when the energies of the animal 

 are being devoted to reproduction it would obviously be much less 

 capable of repairing the loss of such a large amount of tissue as is 

 represented by the visceral mass, and if evisceration were to occur at 

 this period it would be likely to result in the death of the animal from 



