3408 Ratcliffe Society. — Zoophytes. 



Ratcliffe Society. 



A Society bearing this name has lately been established at Oxford, for the encou- 

 ragement of the pursuit of Natural History, especially among the junior portion of the 

 University. Its objects, should it prosper, are to establish a library and museum, for 

 the use of its members. Any further particulars will be gladly communicated, on ap- 

 plication to — Philip H. Newnham ; Wadham College. 



Note on a supposed Thalassicola. — While becalmed off Cape Cormachiti, on the 

 north coast of Cyprus, on September 3, 1849, I observed the sea all around to be 

 studded with myriads of minute gelatinous looking bodies, appearing from the surface 

 to the depth of from four feet to a fathom. Agaiu on September 26, we sailed through 

 many miles of them in the Gulf of Adalia ; and I observed them in great numbers, 

 a third time, off the north end of Rhodes, about ten days later. From their general 

 appearance I took them to be spawn ; but after reading a paper by Mr. Huxley, in 

 the number of the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History' for December, 1851, 

 think that these bodies must be closely allied to, if not identical with his new Zoophyte, 

 Thalassicola. Their general structure exactly corresponds with his description, viz., 

 " minute, spherical, spheroidal, or oval bodies" imbedded in a gelatinous substance. 

 Under the microscope also, these minute bodies seemed to be all cells of various sizes, 

 the larger being distinctly seen to be nucleated : under a higher power, the nuclei 

 exhibited nucleoli. But while thus agreeing in structure with his animal, they showed 

 some external differences, of however comparatively slight importance. That is, they 

 were generally more elongated than those he describes, and the external membrane 

 was frequently constricted in places, causing a beaded appearance. Occasionally, 

 though rarely, the two opposite extremities were united, making the creature com- 

 pletely annular ; and in these I never saw the constrictions on the surface. These 

 forms nearly correspond with his T. punctata. Among some which I got in the Gulf 

 of Adalia, was one which resembled closely his description of T. nucleata, but it was 

 the only one I had on board ; however, I remember well to have seen them occa- 

 sionally floating past. My attention not having been specially directed towards them, 

 I did not examine them so closely as I now could have wished, and in particular I 

 did not see the spieulae represented by Mr. Huxley. Further observation at the time 

 was also stopped by bad weather, which, in a cutter of only 24 tons, is a great impedi- 

 ment to anything of the kind. Still, however, I believe these bodies must be con- 

 nected with this Zoophyte, perhaps a different species ; and my chief reason for 

 making this communication is for the purpose of directing the attention of any one 

 sailing in those seas, to their occurrence, when possibly they may be completely iden- 

 tified with the form which Mr. Huxley has boldly, and with great show of reason, 

 classed with the animal kingdom. — W. Balfour Baikie, M.D.; Haslar Hospital, Gos- 

 port, February 12, 1852. 



