84 



Mavehulhed, der korresponderer med Koloniens store Kanal- 

 system, hvorigjennem Ernæringsvædskerne fryde. Under 

 Svangerskabet bliver saaledes den svangre Polyp ernæret 

 paa Koloniens Bekostning, og det er formodentlig af den 

 Grund, at et forholdsvis lidet Antal af Stammens Polyper 

 samtidigt ere svangre. Hvorvidt disse Moderpolyper dør 

 ud, etter at de have udført sin Ammetjeneste, eller de 

 fortsætte sit Liv for atter at befrngtes, har jeg ikke havt 

 Anledning til at iagttage. 



Paa Basaldelen ligge Spiklerne pakkede paa hver- 

 andre og beståa væsentligst af Dobbeltstjerner, sammen- 

 satte Stjerner, der dog tildels ere mindre udviklede. samt 

 takkede Spindler. Klubber ere sjeldne, men endnu sjeld- 

 nere Firlinger. Dobbeltstjernerne have i Regelen et 

 nøgent Midtbelte, og Straalerne ere ofte brede, bladfor- 

 mede med tandede Rande ; de ere fra 0.084 — 0.096""" lange, 

 og fra 0.044—0.048"™ brede med et 0.016""" bredt Midt- 

 belte, Fig. 7 — 9. De sammensatte Stjerner have ogsaa 

 bladformede Straaler med tandede Rande; de ere fra 0.132 

 —0.148"™ lange og fra 0.056— 0.088"™ brede, Fig. 10. 11. 

 Klubberne ere næsten fra deres nederste, smale Ende og 

 til Toppen besatte med Blade, hvis Rande ere tandede ; de 

 ere fra 0.124-0.164""" Lange, og fra 0.068— 0.084'"'" brede 

 i Toppen, Fig. 12 — 14. En enkelt Firling, næsten time- 

 glasformet, er lige lang som bred, 0.084""", og kun sparsomt 

 besat med Papiller, Fig. 15. Foruden disse tindes ogsaa, 

 men meget sjeldent, et Par andre Spikelformer, saaledes 

 en, eler nærmer sig Timeglasformen og har en svag Tver- 

 linie, der kan antyde en Tvilling, forsynet med nogle 

 Papiller; den er 0.068"™ lang, 0.060"™ bred i Enderne og 

 0-020'"'" bred paa Midten, Fig. 16; en anden nærmer sig 

 Korset med en Længdestok, der er 0.088""", og en klumpet 

 Tverstok, 0.056"™, Fig. 17, — og endelig en tredie, der 

 nærmer sig Søilen, 0.096'"" 1 lang, 0.056""" bred Basaldel 

 og 0.016""" bred paa Midten, Fig. 18. 



Paa Stammens nederste Del ligge Spiklerne ikke saa 

 pakkede paa hverandre som paa Basaldelen; de hyppigste 

 Former ere Dobbeltstjernens og Klubbens, noget sjeldnere 

 den takkede Spindels. Dobbeltstjernerne have bredblaclede 

 Straaler med takkede Rande og nærme sig meget de paa 

 Basaldelen; de ere fra 0.084—0.112"»" lange, og fra 0.068 

 — 0.072"™ brede i Enderne; det nøgne Midtbelte er fra 

 0.028— 0.036"™ bredt, Fig. 19—21. Klubberne ere fast 

 overalt besatte med tandede Blade; de ere 0.188'""' lange 

 og 0.088"™ brede foroven, Fig. 23. 



further development. The oral aperture is quite closed by 

 the mucous already spoken of, so that the polyp can only 

 obtain its sustenance by means of the prolonged gastral 

 cavity ot the branch or stem, which communicates with 

 the large ductiferous system of the colony, through which 

 the nutritory fluids flow. During its pregnancy, the fructi- 

 fied polyp is, thus, nourished at the expense of the colony, 

 and it is, probably, for this reason, that a relatively small 

 number of polyps of the stem are pregnant at one and 

 the same time. . Whether these maternal polyps die off 

 after they have performed their maternal service, or 

 whether they continue to exist for renewed impregnation, 

 I have not had an opportunity of observing. 



In the basal part, the spicules lie packed upon each 

 other, and consist, principally, of bi-stellates, complex 

 stellates — which however, are, partly, imperfectly deve- 

 loped, — and also spicate fusees. Clavates are rare, and 

 quadruplets are still more rare. The bi-stellates have, 

 usually, a bare mesial stripe, and the rays are, often, 

 broad and foliaceous, with indented margins; they mea- 

 sure from 0.084— 0.096 mm in length, and from 0.044— 

 0.048""" in brea.dth, with a 0.016""" broad mesial stripe 

 (fig. 7 — 9). The complex stellates have, also, foliaceous 

 rays with indented margins, and they measure from 0.132 

 — 0.148""" in length, and from 0.056— 0.088""" in breadth 

 (figs. 10. 11). The clavates are, from nearly their lowest 

 narrow extremity to their summit, beset Avith leaves whose 

 margins are indented; they measure from 0.124 — 0.164""" 

 in length, and from 0.068—0.084'"'" in breadth at the sum- 

 mit (fig. 12—14). A solitary quadruplet of nearly sand- 

 glass form, which is as broad as it is long, measures 0.084'"'", 

 and is only sparingly beset with papillæ (fig. 15). Besides 

 these, but very rarely, there are also found a couple of 

 other spicular forms, for instance, one form approaching 

 to the sand-glass form, and Avhich shows a faint transverse 

 line that may indicate a twin, and is furnished with a 

 few papillæ; it measures 0.068"™ in length, 0.060""" in 

 breadth at the extremities, and 0.020'""' in breadth at the 

 middle (fig. 16). Another form approaches to the cruci- 

 form, and has a longitudinal arm measuring 0.088"™ in 

 length, and a protuberated transversal arm measuring 

 0.056""" in length (fig. 1 7) and. finally, a third form which 

 approaches to the columnar form, and measures 0.096"™ 

 in length, 0.056""" in breadth at the basal part, and 

 0.01 6"™ in breadth at the middle (fig. 18). 



In the inferior part of the stem, the spicules do not 

 lie so closely packed upon each other as in the basal part ; 

 the most frequent spicular forms are bi-stellates and clav- 

 ates, and somewhat more rarely, the spicate fusees. The 

 bistellates have broad foliaceous rays with spicate mar- 

 gins, and approximate, much, to those of the basal part ; 

 they measure from 0.084 — 0.112'"'" in length, and from 

 0.068 — 0.072""" in breadth at the extremities; the bare 

 mesial belt measuring from 0.028 — 0.036""" in breadth 

 (fig. 19 — 21). The clavates are constantly, everywhere, 

 beset with indented leaves; they measure 0.188""" in length, 

 and 00.88"»" in breadth above (fig. 23). 



