1869.] and Membranvpora Bengalensis. 51 



I found that the eggs on the ovaria were rather larger than usually in 

 other live specimens, and the spermatozoa were accumulated in large 

 numbers between all the mesenterial folds, and some of the pale 

 strings which contained them, appeared to be attached irregularly 

 between the ovaria. In a third instance they almost seemed to me that 

 they have taken the place of some of the craspeda. 



The important question resulting from this observation is, whether 

 the death of the specimen was an accidental, or a natural one. I 

 would not in the least deny, that the somewhat different conditions 

 under which the animals were placed, accelerated the death of two of 

 the specimens, but it would be strange to affirm that their death was 

 caused merely by these different conditions,* inasmuch as they had 

 hardly any influence upon other specimens, living in the same 

 aquarium, and remaining healthy for a long time. Before those 

 observations were made and afterwards, I had at different times dissect- 

 ed several specimens, but I never found a trace of any spermatozoen 

 follicles, or any spermatozoa between the ovaria, though the ova were 

 sometimes of large size and highly developed. I have, never observed 

 internally any young Sagartics. Still it appears very probable that 

 the present species is like many other Acliniacea viviparous, this 

 being the ordinary course of propagation. I have likewise not 

 observed any buds or stolones, or a natural division of any of the 

 specimens. However, either at certain times of the year or, more likely, 

 at a certain age the male follicles may be formed and spermatozoa deve- 

 loped in large numbers. The death of a specimen after the act of 

 fructification may be only an accidental one, but this has still to be 

 confirmed by other observations. In the specimen of which I have 

 given the history, the eggs remained after its death perfect, only 

 loosened from the ovarian strings, while the other animal substance 

 quickly decomposed. G-osse says that he once observed an Actinia issuing 

 spermatozoa, but he does not state whether the act resulted in the death 

 of the specimen or not. Blainville's observations, if I remember rightly, 

 gave a distinct proof that in some species ovaria and spermatozoa are 

 developed in one and the same specimen. 



* Being probably a slight alteration of the percentage of the saline consti- 

 tuents of the water, caused by evaporation, (though this percentage was 

 maintained as much as possible), greater exposure to light and increased 

 temperature, want of sufficient motion in the water, etc. 



