1915.J Fauna of the Chilka Lake : Polyzoa. 1^1 



horizontal and adherent, resembles that of ordinary capitula. The lower surface of 

 the bud is covered by a thin horny membrane that adheres to the object of attach- 

 ment. The inner structure is very simple, consisting of a mass of circular cells filled 

 with granular matter and contained in a delicate external epithelial membrane. 

 Muscle-fibres can be seen making their way from the stalk into the proximal part of 

 the cellular mass. There is a space at the broader end of the capsule. The granuli- 

 ferous cells are not packed closely, but are separated by spaces that appear to be 

 void of connecting substance. The length of the bud is about o 27 and the breadth 

 0*15. It is thus smaller than the largest polyps. 



I have found these buds on one occasion only, in the Ennur backwater in 

 October, 1913. They take the place of ordinary polyps in the colony, but I cannot say 

 whether they are produced by the degeneration of an ordinary active capitulum or 

 by direct development. In the colonies in which they occurred I noticed that many 



Fig. 3. — Loxosomatoides laevis, sp. nov. 

 Resting bud giving rise to a new colony, x 100. 



normal polyps were lying prone on the surface of the oyster-shells to which they 

 were attached, but this attitude is often adopted in normal circumstances, the shield 

 being invariably uppermost. Among my specimens is one illustrating the origin of 

 a young colony from a resting bud. It was in the substance of a thin encrusting 

 Myxospongid sponge. This specimen is shown in fig. 3. The capsule of the bud has 

 already degenerated somewhat, but traces of the characteristic ornamentation can 

 still be detected under a high power. From the broader end a stalk bearing a young 

 polyp has already emerged, while through the annulus at the other extremity a 

 young stolon has made its way and is already producing at its tip the stalk of a polyp. 

 It is evident that the original stalk of the bud had degenerated and disappeared; 

 that this occurs commonly is substantiated by other specimens. 



The polyps of L. laevis are very shy and I found it difficult to induce them to 

 expand in captivity. When the lophophore was retracted they usually remained 

 with the lower part of the stalk vertical and the upper part bent over in such a way 



