Seaside Studies in Natural History. Marine Animals of Massachusetts Bay. Radiates.

Part 1

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SEASIDE STUDIES

NATURAL HISTORY.

ELIZABETH C. AGASSIZ

AND

ALEXANDER AGASSIZ.

MARINE ANIMALS OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

RADIATES.

BOSTON: JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, LATE TICKNOR & FIELDS, AND FIELDS, OSGOOD, & CO.

1871.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by A L E X A N D E R A G A S S I Z, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

UNIVERSITY PRESS: WELCH, BIGELOW, AND COMPANY, CAMBRIDGE.

THIS LITTLE BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHORS TO PROFESSOR L. AGASSIZ, WHOSE PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION HAVE BEEN THE MAIN GUIDE IN ITS PREPARATION.

* * * * *

PREFACE.

This volume is published with the hope of supplying a want often expressed for some seaside book of a popular character, describing the marine animals common to our shores. There are many English books of this kind; but they relate chiefly to the animals of Great Britain, and can only have a general bearing on those of our own coast, which are for the most part specifically different from their European relatives. While keeping this object in view, an attempt has also been made to present the facts in such a connection, with reference to principles of science and to classification, as will give it in some sort the character of a manual of Natural History, in the hope of making it useful not only to the general reader, but also to teachers and to persons desirous of obtaining a more intimate knowledge of the subjects discussed in it. With this purpose, although nearly all the illustrations are taken from among the most common inhabitants of our bay, a few have been added from other localities in order to fill out this little sketch of Radiates, and render it, as far as is possible within such limits, a complete picture of the type.

A few words of explanation are necessary with reference to the joint authorship of the book. The drawings and the investigations, where they are not referred to other observers, have been made by MR. A. AGASSIZ, the illustrations having been taken, with very few exceptions, from nature, in order to represent the animals, as far as possible, in their natural attitudes; and the text has been written by MRS. L. AGASSIZ, with the assistance of MR. A. AGASSIZ's notes and explanations.

CAMBRIDGE, May, 1865.

* * * * *

NOTE.

This second edition is a mere reprint of the first. A few mistakes accidentally overlooked have been corrected; an explanation of the abbreviations of the names of writers used after the scientific names has been added, as well as a list of the wood-cuts. The changes which have taken place in the opinions of scientific men with regard to the distribution of animal life in the ocean have been duly noticed in their appropriate place, but no attempt has been made to incorporate more important additions which the progress of our knowledge of Radiates may require hereafter.

CAMBRIDGE, January, 1871.

* * * * *

CONTENTS.

PAGE

ON RADIATES IN GENERAL 1

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE POLYPS 5

ACTINOIDS 7

Part 2

MADREPORIANS 16

HALCYONOIDS 19

GENERAL SKETCH OF ACALEPHS 21

CTENOPHORÆ 26

EMBRYOLOGY OF CTENOPHORÆ 34

DISCOPHORÆ 37

HYDROIDS 49

MODE OF CATCHING JELLY-FISHES 85

ECHINODERMS 91

HOLOTHURIANS 95

ECHINOIDS 101

STAR-FISHES 108

OPHIURANS 115

CRINOIDS 120

EMBRYOLOGY OF ECHINODERMS 123

DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE IN THE OCEAN 141

SYSTEMATIC TABLE 152

INDEX 154

LIST OF THE WOOD-CUTS.

Unless otherwise specified, the illustrations are drawn from nature by ALEX. AGASSIZ.

FIG. PAGE

1. Transverse section of an Actinia (Agassiz) 5

2, 3, 4. Actinia in different degrees of expansion (Agassiz) 8

5. METRIDIUM MARGINATUM fully expanded 8

6. Vertical section of an Actinia 10

7. View from above of an expanded Actinia 11

8, 9. Young Actiniæ 11

10. RHODACTINIA DAVISII 13

Part 3

11. ARACHNACTIS BRACHIOLATA 14

12. Young Arachnactis 14

13. Young Arachnactis showing the mouth 14

14. BICIDIUM PARASITICUM 15

15. HALCAMPA ALBIDA 16

16. Colony of ASTRANGIA DANÆ 17

17. Magnified individuals of Astrangia 17

18. Single individual of Astrangia 18

19. Lasso-cell of Astrangia 18

20. Limestone pit of Astrangia 19

21. Single individual of HALCYONIUM CARNEUM 19

22. Halcyonium community 20

23. Expanded individual of Halcyonium 20

24. Branch of MILLEPORA ALCICORNIS (Agassiz) 22

25. Expanded animals of Millepora (Agassiz) 22

26. Transverse section of branch of Millepora (Agassiz) 23

27. PLEUROBRACHIA RHODODACTYLA (Agassiz) 27

28. The same as Fig. 27 seen in plane of tentacles (Agassiz) 28

29. Pleurobrachia in motion 29

30. Pleurobrachia seen from the extremity opposite the mouth 30

31. BOLINA ALATA seen from the broad side (Agassiz) 31

32. Bolina seen from the narrow side (Agassiz) 31

33. IDYIA ROSEOLA seen from the broad side (Agassiz) 32

34. Young Pleurobrachia still in the egg 35

35. Young Pleurobrachia swimming in the egg 35

36. Young Pleurobrachia resembling already adult 35

37. Young Idyia 35

38. Young Idyia seen from the anal pole 36

Part 4

39. Idyia somewhat older than Fig. 37 36

40. Idyia still older 36

41. Young Bolina in stage resembling Pleurobrachia 37

42. Young Bolina seen from the broad side 37

43. Young Bolina seen from the narrow side 37

44. CYANEA ARCTICA 40

45. Scyphistoma of Aurelia (Agassiz) 41

46. Scyphistoma older than Fig. 45 (Agassiz) 41

47. Strobila of Aurelia (Agassiz) 41

48. Ephyra of Aurelia (Agassiz) 42

49. AURELIA FLAVIDULA seen in profile (Agassiz) 42

50. Aurelia seen from above (Agassiz) 43

51. CAMPANELLA PACHYDERMA 44

52. The same from below 44

53. TRACHYNEMA DIGITALE 45

54. HALICLYSTUS AURICULA 46

55. Lucernaria seen from the mouth side 47

56. Young Lucernaria 48

57. Hydrarium of EUCOPE DIAPHANA 50

58. Magnified portion of Fig. 57 50

59. Part of marginal tentacles of Eucope 51

60. Young Eucope 51

61. Adult Eucope, profile 51

62. Quarter-disk of Fig. 60 51

63. Quarter-disk of Eucope older than Fig. 62 52

64. Quarter-disk of adult Eucope 52

65. OCEANIA LANGUIDA just escaped from the reproductive calycle 53

66. Same as Fig. 65 from below 53

Part 5

67. Young Oceania older than Fig. 65 54

Diagram of succession of tentacles 54

68. Adult Oceania 55

69. Attitude assumed by Oceania 56

70. CLYTIA BICOPHORA escaped from reproductive calycle 57

71. Somewhat older than Fig. 70 57

72. Magnified portion of Hydrarium of Clytia 57

73. Adult Clytia 57

74. ZYGODACTYLA GROENLANDICA 58

75. The same seen in profile 59

76. TIMA FORMOSA 61

77. One of the lips of the mouth 61

78. Head of Hydrarium of Tima 62

79. MELICERTUM CAMPANULA from above (Agassiz) 63

80. The same seen in profile 64

81. Planula of Melicertum 65

82. Cluster of planulæ 65

83. Young Hydrarium 65

84. DYNAMENA PUMILA 66

85. Magnified portion of Fig. 84 66

86. DYPHASIA ROSACEA 67

87. Medusa of LAFOEA 67

88. Colony of Coryne mirabilis (Agassiz) 68

89. Magnified head of Fig. 88 (Agassiz) 68

90. Free Medusa of Coryne (Agassiz) 68

91. TURRIS VESICARIA 69

92. BOUGAINVILLIA SUPERCILIARIS 70

93. Hydrarium of Bougainvillia 70

Part 6

94, 95, 96. Medusæ buds of Fig. 93 71

97. Young Medusa just freed from the Hydroid 71

98. TUBULARIA COUTHOUYI (Agassiz) 72

99. Cluster of Medusæ of Fig. 98 (Agassiz) 72

100. Female colony of HYDRACTINIA POLYCLINA (Agassiz) 73

101. Male colony of the same (Agassiz) 73

102. Unsymmetrical Medusa of HYBOCODON PROLIFER (Agassiz) 74

103. Medusa bud of Hybocodon (Agassiz) 74

104. Hybocodon Hydrarium (Agassiz) 74

105. DYSMORPHOSA FULGURANS 75

106. Proboscis of Fig. 105 with young Medusæ 75

107. Young NANOMIA CARA 76

108. Nanomia with rudimentary Medusæ 76

109. Nanomia somewhat older than Fig. 108 77

110. Heart-shaped swimming bell of Nanomia 77

111. Cluster of Medusæ with tentacles having pendent knobs 78

112. Magnified pendent knob 79

113. Medusa with corkscrew-shaped tentacles 79

114. Medusa with simple tentacle 80

115. Adult Nanomia 81

116. Oil float of Nanomia 82

117. PHYSALIA ARETHUSA (Agassiz) 83

118. Bunch of Hydræ (Agassiz) 84

119. Cluster of Medusæ (Agassiz) 86

120. VELELLA MUTICA (Agassiz) 84

121. Free Medusa of Velella (Agassiz) 84

122. PTYCHOGENA LACTEA 86

123. Ovary of Ptychogena 87

Part 7

124. SYNAPTA TENUIS 95

125. Anchor of Synapta 96

126. CAUDINA ARENATA 97

127. CUVIERIA SQUAMATA 98

128. Young Cuvieria 99

129. Cuvieria somewhat older than Fig. 128 99

130. PENTACTA FRONDOSA 100

131. TOXOPNEUSTES DROBACHIENSIS 102

132. Portion of shell of Fig. 131 without spines (Agassiz) 103

133. Sea-urchin shell without spines (Agassiz) 103

134. Sea-urchin from the mouth side (Agassiz) 104

135. Magnified spine 104

136. Transverse section of spine 105

137. Pedicellaria of Sea-urchin 105

138. Teeth of Sea-urchin 106

139. ECHINARACHNIUS PARMA 107

140. Transverse section of Echinarachnius (Agassiz) 108

141. Ray of Star-fish, seen from mouth side (Agassiz) 109

142. ASTRACANTHION BERYLINUS 110

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