240 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
bloods vessels of Ludwig and other authors (Pl. XXXIX, 
fig. 2). 
Perrier and Poirier (7), followed by Cuenot, deny the 
existence of these radial hemal strands; but the latter 
author admits that there is what he calls a “ glandular” 
tract in the vertical septum, and figures one of the lacunar 
spaces. At regular intervals strands which appear in 
sections as oblique septa, and were described as such by 
Cueénot, pass from the radial hemal strands to supply the 
tube-feet. The radial periheemal canals are continuous, 
through the medium of lateral extensions passing between 
the tube-feet, with a system of lacunar spaces everywhere 
present in the body wall. I have already more than once 
referred to the existence of coagulum in the heemal system. 
It is present at all points in larger or small quantities, 
the tubules of the central plexus frequently being much 
distended with it. Whether the fluid which gives rise to 
it merits the term blood or not may be open to question, 
but I am satisfied that it is a nutrient fluid, derived from 
the gut, and conveyed by the gastric hemal strands to the 
central plexus, and from thence along the genital and 
radial strands. That such is its course is demonstrated by 
a series of sections cut from a young specimen of Asterias 
rubens, for which I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. 
W. Garstang. Into the stomach of the specimen in ques- 
tion, a number of very small cyst-like bodies, about gpth 
of an inch in diameter, and of a dark green colour, had 
found their way. Many of these had been ruptured, 
setting free large numbers of still smaller spore-hke bodies, 
of which hundreds are now to be seen lodged between the 
bases of the epithelium cells lining the stomach, in the 
tubules of the gastric hemal strands, and of the central 
plexus. Cuénot maintains that the true blood-fluid circu- 
lates in the periheemai canals, but the very large number 
