THE SPICUL.E. 81 Around the neck of the expanded Polype, that is, just below the base of the petals, there are seen by means of a lens, a number of short lines placed trans- versely. With a higher power, on the animal being subjected to pressure, these are found to be calcareous spiculae, arranged in a singular manner, as seen at fig. 2. They are fusiform, and slightly knot- ted. The basal part of the animal is also studded with minute points ; these likewise prove to be spiculae, but of different form and appearance, (fig. 3.) each consisting of a star of six points, all truncate and digitate. These are scattered all over the base, for about one-fourth of the height of the Polype, but there are rounded accumulations or constellations of these stars among the rest, where they are densely crowded together. These clusters seem to be arranged one in each interspace of the septa ; the former kind runs up in points into the base of each petal. When the polypidom is carefully cut open length- wise, it is seen to be permeated by canals running throughout from the base to all parts of the surface, where they dilate a little and form the cells, which contain the several polypes. Under a microscope, the substance which separates the cells, is seen to be spongiose, containing a great number of spiculse of much larger size than those of the polype-skin. They vary in form, but follow one model, and much resemble very gnarled branches of oak, with the branchlets broken off", leaving ragged ends. I have figured some of them at fig. 4. EOLIS DESPECTA, ETC. In the large tide-pool at Petit Tor, I pulled up by