148 



absorbed during metamorphosis, but are kept intact as a floating appa- 

 ratus and then dropped, when the young Ophiurid has completed meta- 

 morphosis and is ready to give up pelagic life. The long posterolateral arms 

 remain in connection, after the Ophiurid has gone, their cihated band 

 being intact and in the present case, moreover, joining in the middle, 

 below the Ophiurid (this takes place before the Ophiurid leaves the "larva"). 

 While in the case of Ophiothrix the abandoned posterolateral arms must 

 evidently soon perish, this appears not to be the case with the present 



Fig. 75. Skeleton of Ophiopluteus opulenius, species c. ^"/j. 



Fig. 76. Basal part of posterolateral rod of the same species, "'"/i. 



larva. As stated above (p. 124) it seems fairly certain that a new larval 

 body regenerates in the place of the former larval body. "How far 

 the process of regeneration goes cannot be ascertained; but in any case 

 PI. XX, Fig. 5 shows that it may go on so far as till the formation of a 

 new mouth and esophagus; it is also evident from the numerous nuclei 

 seen in the anterior part of the new body that a vigorous growth is going 

 on here, so that it would seem most probable that the process may continue 

 the short while, until the new digestive organs are able to assume normal 

 function — and then there seems to be no reason to doubt that a new 

 complete and ultimately metamorphosing larva may be the result. Thus 

 we would here have a true case of metagenesis, otherwise totally un- 

 known in Echinoderms. — As explained above (p. 124) the suggestion that 



