| 2162/ in size from the mount which I sent to masses from one to two inches in length. The larger masses are thin and flat like paper and not so common as the smaller ones.
Each colony appears to have a point of attachment upon some weed or other object. From the central point radiate small threadlike filaments At the end of each finament and attached to it is a cell The cell is a hollow cone or a good illustration would be a common tea-cup. The apex of the cone is attached to the filament. Around the rim of the base, corresponding to the edge of the tea cup, is a line of ciliary hairs. Now for the motion of the plant The filament connecting the cell to the central point is a spiral The cell begins to slowly move away from the central point until the filament is fully extended, then it stops and a rapid vibration of the ciliary hairs begins driving the water and any small floating bodies violently into the bottom of the cup shaped cell.
This motion only lasts an instant when the filament suddenly contracts returning to its spiral form and the cell is violently drawn back to the starting point only to again begin its outward motion and indefinitely repeat this process. This appears to be a nutritive process. Many of the colonies are enveloped in mucus. When they are placed in | 216 |
