86 The Wandering Polyzoon. 



direction from the disc outwards, but possessing* no external 

 opening. The tentacula are about eighty in number." Pro- 

 fessor Allman states that the coenoecium (the common dermal 

 system of the colony) is of a dull yellow or sienna colour, and 

 his figure answers to this description. The colour, however, 

 doubtless varies, according to the nature of food and the 

 water where the creatures are found. From my own experi- 

 ence, I should say that the colour of the animal is light yellow, 

 which, when viewed by transmitted light, looks almost white, 

 as in the figures of the plate, which were made from drawings 

 of living specimens, which had attached themselves to sides 

 of the glass vessels in which they had been placed. Gristatella 

 in other respects differs from other members of the fresh- water 

 Polyzoa ; all the rest prefer shade, they are found under stones 

 and in dark recesses, but Gristatella loves to flaunt her plumes 

 in the bright glare of day, and good reason she has to be proud 

 of her beautiful feathers ! Again, very coy, and shy, and 

 retreating are all the others — shake the glass, and in they pop 

 their little delicate heads, and perhaps won't come out again 

 for some little time ; but Gristatella is not so shy by any 

 means ; she must be roughly handled indeed to cause the 

 individuals of the colony to retire into their cells for any 

 length of time. 



I will not write more, of this beautiful creature. I only ask 

 ' c Intellectual Observers " to seek to become acquainted with 

 her; and much obliged should I be to any reader of this 

 magazine if he could send me a specimen or two of Lophopus 

 crystallinus, or Palludicella Ehrenhergi, two British species of 

 fresh- water Polyzoa, which I have long hunted for in vain. 



EEFEKENCE TO PLATE. 



Figs. A represent two mature individuals ; the dark spots 

 are the statoblasts imbedded in the coenoecium. B, D, C repre- 

 sent the front, back, and side views of the exserted portion of 

 a single polype; E, a statoblast showing the characteristic 

 hooked spines ; all magnified. 



