The Philippine Jodbnal of Science, 



D. General Biology, Ethnology and Anthropologj'. 



Vol. VI, No. 6, December, 1911. 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE PALLIAL TENTACLES OF LIMA 

 SPECIES. 



By Lawrence E. Geiffin.' 

 (From the Zoological Laboratory, Vniversiiy of the Philippines.) 



While turning over stones on a coral reef on the eastern coast of 

 Negros, P. I., there came from under one which I lifted a small Lima 

 which went flapping off, like 

 a startled Pecten, in a des- 

 perate effort to escape. 

 From the edges of the man- 

 tle trailed scores of delicate 

 tentacles, from 25 to 60 mil- 

 limeters in length, of a 

 blood-red color. As quickly 

 as possible I caught the little 

 creature and immediately- 

 several dozen of the tentacles 

 fastened to my hand. Many 

 of them clung so tightly that 

 they were broken before 

 letting go. 



Each of the tenta- 

 cles was ringed with an- 

 nual gTooves. These an- 

 nulations and the great 

 adhesive power of the 

 tentacles, which seemed 

 to be due more to suc- 

 tion than to a mucila- 

 ginous secretion, were 

 immediate reminders of 

 the tentacular cirri of 

 Nautilus. This first 



specimen of Lima sp. was destroyed by an accident and it was several 

 months before more were found. These were discovered buried at a depth 



^Associate professor of zoology. University of the Philippines, Manila, P. I. 



327 



