164 



Venus' Flower-hasTtet. 



slanting directions across the corners of the square meshes are 

 much branched and forked, and frequently spicules with cross 

 heads may be seen. There are also numerous jagged threads, 

 not belonging to the main structure, but appended to it, and 

 often terminating in a knot of recurved hooks, like certain 

 walking-sticks cut from thorns. Spicules, of a more elaborate 

 pattern, probably belong to the sarcode, are perhaps more 

 frequent in rough dingy-looking specimens than in those which 

 have been bleached and cleaned. 



Fig. 1 (p. 163.) represents a portion of the net-work, reduced 

 one-half from the original drawing, made with a magnification of 

 about 17, and selected to represent the general character of the 

 threads crossing the square meshes. In this sketch the hori- 

 zontal and vertical threads are depicted as simple cylinders, 

 which appearance they often present under low powers for 

 considerable distances. 



Fig. 2 is a reduction from a sketch made under higher mag- 

 nification (x 40), from a portion that well shows the way in 



FlG -—EitplecteUa— Magnified portion, showing organic junction of fibre. 



which fibres from the main bundles form junctions with fibres 

 springing from other parts. 



Fig. 3, reduced one-half from a sketch made with magni- 

 fication of 17, exhibits the structure of the frills or furbelows. 



The top of the Ewplectella is covered in full-grown speci- 

 mens, with a network of threads soldered together, and crossing 

 at various angles, making three and four-sided meshes of dif- 

 ferent sizes. 



