188 J. H. ASHWORTH. 



cells (G.), which are, like goblet-cells, swollen or flask-shaped, due to 

 the presence of some secretion to which they give rise. These cells 

 generally appear to be empty, having discharged their secretion, which 

 in some cases can be seen issuing from the cell into the cavity of the 

 stomodaeum (PI. XXL, Fig. 18). These secreting cells occur chiefly in 

 the middle and lower portions of the stomodaeum, and are most abun- 

 dant on the lateral walls near the siphonoglyph. They do not occur 

 among the cells which form the siphonoglyph (PI. XX., Fig. 10). 

 Secreting cells have not hitherto been noticed in the stomodaeum of 

 the Alcyonaria (Ashworth, 1898). 



These goblet-cells of the stornodaeum are the only secreting cells 

 connected with the digestive cavity, as the six thick short ventral and 

 lateral mesenterial filaments, which bear the gland-cells in other 

 Alcyonaria, are absent in all polyps of this Xenia (see Woodcut, p. 187). 

 Only the dorsal mesenteries possess thickened edges, forming two 

 mesenterial filaments (D.M.F.) which have a similar course and 

 structure to those of Alcyonium. The free edge of the ventral and 

 lateral mesenteries is only very slightly thickened, and the thickening 

 is due entirely to the greater amouut of mesogioea present at the edge 

 of the mesentery. The cells which cover the edge differ in no way 

 from those which cover the remaining portions of the mesentery. 



New points in the anatomy of this Xenia are the presence of gland- 

 cells in the stomodaeum, and the absence of the six ventral and lateral 

 mesenterial filaments usually present in the polyps of the Alcyonaria . 

 Wilson (in Kophobelemnon, 1884) and Hickson (in Alcyonium, 1895) 

 have shown that these mesenterial filaments bear the cells which 

 produce the digestive secretion. I would suggest that the absence of 

 these filaments in this Xenia is correlated with the presence of gland- 

 cells in the stomodaeum, and that the latter, judging from their 

 appearance and position, perform some digestive function. As men- 

 tioned above, the cells are most abundant on the ventro-lateral walls of 

 the stomodaeum, near the siphonoglyph. As the flagella of the 

 siphonoglyph create an inward current of sea water carrying food 

 particles, which passes along the ventral groove, the greater abundance 

 of secreting cells in the walls abutting on this groove is suggestive of 

 the digestive function of the secretion, which can l'eadily be poured 

 out on to the ingoing food particles. 



