HALL 24. 
LOWER INVERTEBRATES. 
Entering from Hall 23. 
Case 1 . — A collection of models of the simplest forms of 
animal life {^Branch /, — Protozoa), commonly knov/n as animal- 
cules. These are magnified 2,300 times, and are faithful repre- 
sentations of these curious animals. Just below a collection of 
sponges {Branch //, — Porifera), among which are the curious 
Neptune’s Cup, the Glass-rope Sponge, and the Venus Flower- 
basket. 
To the left of the sponges are the corals {Branch III , — Coe- 
lenterata), those beautiful creatures which have been instrumental 
in building many of the islands in the tropical seas. Among 
these are a number of glass models of jelly-fish, the Portuguese 
Man-of-War, and several sea-anemones. Of great interest among 
these models are the two groups of sea-anemones at the back of 
Case I. 
Case 2, on the opposite side of the Hall. — A continuation of 
the corals. In the left hand side of this case is a fine collection of 
sea-fans and sea-plumes (^Alcyonaria), those flowers of the sea. 
Among these as of special interest is the large specimen of the 
Tree Gorgonia {Paragorgia), which grows to a height of fifteen or 
twenty feet. 
Table-Case 5 contains the first class of the star-fishes 
{Echinoder 7 nata), the Crinoids, or sea-lilies, beautiful animals 
mounted upon a pedicel or stalk, the Ophiurians, or serpent-stars, 
and the Astrophytons, or basket-fish. These last receive their 
name from their peculiar habit of curling into the form of a basket 
when taken from the water. 
Cases 6, 7, and 8. — The typical star-fishes, the five-fin- 
gers so familiar to every one. In Case 7 are seen several exam- 
ples of the repairing of broken arms in this family. In Case 8 
the spiny-stars {Accunthaster) show to what peculiar modifications 
these curious animals are subject. 
Cases 9, lO, 11, and 12. — The Echinoids, or sea-urchins. 
Many of these have been dredged at great depths. In the left 
hand side of Case 10 is. seen the large Ildible Vrchm {Echinus 
