POLYPES. 
337 
are like yellow cords fastened down to the intestines. Quatrefages could 
not distinguish the testes, nor a nervous nor vascular system in these 
animals. The tentacles are hollow, and covered with a vibratory epi- 
thelium, which, with the cilia of the cavity of the body, cause the fluid 
found in it to move up and down ; so that it appears as if these cilia 
could change their motions at will. By these Edwardsice the Actiniae 
are connected with the Ilolothurice, particularly with the genus Synapta. 
R. Wagner (Arch. 1841, i. p. 41) has become convinced, by recent 
investigation, that the organs of the Actiniae, previously described by 
him as seminal animalcules (Arch. 1835, ii. p. 205), are the stinging 
organs of these zoophytes. Kolliker has also discovered these organs, 
but never could perceive any motion in them (Beitr. ant. cit. p. 44). 
This may be influenced by the sexual organism of the Actiniae, and also 
by the season of the year ; for, according to Erdl’s account, the stinging 
organs of the Actiniae, when in heat, are diflerently shaped from those 
of individuals not in that state, and display in spring much more activity 
than in autumn (Miill. Arch, 1841, p. 426, and 1842, p. 305). Be- 
sides these stinging organs, male parts of generation have also been 
discovered in the Actiniae by Kolliker as well as Erdl ; and the latter 
has become convinced of the separate sexes of these animals. The 
sexual organs here form bands, with many folds, resting under the 
mantle, on the longitudinal muscular ledges, and one corner of the side 
floats free. In the male, these band-formed processes contain a quantity 
of testicular sacs ; in the female, a number of eggs. The sacs contain 
elongated bundles of spermatozoa, of which the moveable ones consist 
of an oval body and fine pilose appendage. When the time of heat in 
the Actinae is past, there is no farther trace of sexual parts. According 
to this, Ehrenberg’s view, that the stinging organs are the spermatozoa 
of these animals, is not tenable (Archiv. 1842, i. p. 73). 
A description of the young of the Actinia mesemhrianthemum has 
been given by Rathke (Neueste Danzig. Schrift. Bd. Ill, Hft. 4, p. 112), 
which were found in the stomach of two grown individuals. The 
largest was three lines high, the smallest half a line. They were rose- 
coloured, and the circle of tentacles of the smallest individuals contained 
ten ; and the ring of the mantle was wanting, while it was completely 
formed in the larger individuals. 
A monograph, published by Leuckart, is confined chiefly to the mush- 
room corals. There are described in it two genera, Fungia, with eight 
species, containing the new one F. dentigera ; and Herpolitha, with 
six species, containing the new one II, Riippellii (Observationes Zoolo- 
gicae de Zoophytis Coralliis speciatim de genere Fungia, 1841). 
A new Gorgonian coral has been described by Philippi, under the name 
of Bebryce mollis (Arch. 1842, i. p. 35), which he found in the form of 
little branched stems, of three to four inches high, on Oculina ramea. 
381 
