SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
447 
cliitonous tubes which permeate the sponge tissue are united towards the 
hase of the sponge, and constitute a composite colony of zooids. The tubes 
are increased in width towards their free extremity, and the polypite in- 
habiting each puts forth a retractile crown of tentacles. In many respects 
this new hydrozoan resembles the Campanularian zoophytes. The name of 
Stephanocyphus mirdbilis has been given by the Professor to this beautiful 
object. In no instance was this zoophyte unaccompanied by the sponge. 
The new order to which it belongs has been named Thecomedusce. 
The Habits of Peripaius Capensis have been described in a paper pre- 
sented to the Royal Society by Mr. H. N. Moseley, Naturalist to the 
“Challenger Expedition.” He says that the species he examined was 
Peripatus Capensis , described by Grube in the Zoological Series of the 
“Novara Expedition.” The animal has invariably seventeen pairs of 
ambulatory members, a pair of oral papillae, and two pairs of horny 
hooked jaws, shut in by tumid lips. The specimens found varied in 
length from 1*6 to 7 centims. in the contracted condition. About thirty 
specimens were found, all of them but one at Wynberg, between Simon’s 
Bay and Cape Town. The animals appear to be somewhat local, and not 
very abundant ; they live in damp places under trees, and especially frequent 
rotten willow-wood. They feed on rotten wood. They are nocturnal in 
their habits. They coil themselves up spirally like lulus when injured. 
They have a remarkable power of extension of the body, and when 
walking stretch to nearly twice the length they have when at rest. They 
can move with considerable rapidity. They walk with the body entirely 
supported on their feet. Their gait is not in the least like that of worms, 
but more like that of caterpillars. When irritated they shoot out with 
great suddenness from the oral papillae a peculiarly viscid tenacious fluid, 
which forms a meshwork of fine threads, with viscid globules on them 
at intervals, the whole resembling a spider’s web with the dew upon it. 
The fluid is ejected at any injuring body, and is probably used in 
defence against enemies, such as insects, which would be held powerless 
for some time if enveloped in its meshes. The fluid is not irritant when 
placed on the tongue, but slightly bitter and astringent; it is as sticky 
as bird-lime ; flies, when they light in it, are held fast at once. The fluid 
is structureless, but presents an appearance of fine fibrillation when dry. 
The animal is best obtained dead in an extended condition by drowning it 
in water, which operation takes four or five hours. 
Some Peculiarities of Actinophrys Sol. — Professor Leidy has made some 
recent observations on this subject which are not without interest. After 
describing the structure and habits of this curious rhizopod, Professor Leidy 
said that he had recently observed it in a condition which he had not seen 
described. He had accidentally found two individuals including between 
them a finely-granular rayless sphere nearly as large as the animals them- 
selves. These measured, independent of the rays, 0-064 mm. in diameter; 
the included sphere 0*06 mm. He supposed that he had been so fortunate 
as to find two individuals of Actinophrys in conjunction with the produc- 
tion of an ovum. Preserving the animals for observation, on returning after 
an absence of three hours, the animals were observed connected by a broad 
isthmus including the granular sphere reduced to half its original diameter. 
