1050 The American Naturalist. [December, 
contained a wide lumen throughout its length, and that into this the 
diverticulum of the intestine, with an anal opening at its distal end, 
was alternately thrust and withdrawn. The fecal mass did not seem 
to be carried into this lumen by one of the eversions of the intestine, 
as we might now call the portion of the digestive tube that extended 
into the bud, but to pass directly into the cavity, b, and from there to 
the outside world by the anus at c. 
Although the fold, a, changed its form and position frequently, as 
already explained, the movements were never seen to affect the portion 
of the wall of the digestive tube immediately at the entrance of the 
bud. From this fact and the obvious close relation of the two layers 
in this region, I conclude that there was an actual connection between 
them here. At this time both the preoral and anal bands of cilia were 
present, and the larva was swimming about actively. On the follow- 
ing morning, however, it was dead and so far decomposed as to be of 
no value as a preserved specimen. 
Meaningless, and indeed impossible, as such a comparison would be 
in detail, one can hardly fail to be reminded by these figures of the 
young Phoronis at such a stage of its metamorphosis as is figured, for 
example, by Metschnikoff and copied in Lang’s Lehrbuch der Verg- 
leichanden Anatomie. Of course, should such a comparison be 
attempted, the main, or primary body of the Polygordiusdarva would 
have to be compared to the new, or secondary body of the Phoronis. 
Nevertheless, it is worth noticing that we have in this monstrosity, a8 
in Phoronis, a contrivance by which the anus is transferred from the 
end of the body remote from the head to a position much nearer to it, 
this being brought about by a dorsal flexure upon itself of the diges- 
tive tract, the change being then essentially that required by Wilson’ s 
speculation concerning the significance of the eversion of the digestive 
tract during the metamorphosis of Phoronis—W™. E. Rrrrer, Uni- 
versity of California, Sept. 27, 1892. 
TE. B. Wilson, The Origin and Significance of the Metamorphosis of Actino- 
trocha. Quart. Jour. of Micro. Sci., Vol. xxi, pp. 202-218 
