. Text-book of zoology for junior students. Zoology. 108 INYEin'EBltATE AXIMALS. When yoinig, the ComatiiJa is so different in apjjearance from the adult, that it was originally descrilied as a distinct animal. It con- sists now uf a little cup-sliajied difc with ten radiating ai-ms above, jirodnced by the splitting into two of five primary rays, and furnished inferiorly with a little flexible column or stalk composed of a number of cal- careoiis joints. B}' this jointed stem the body is at this period of life fixed to sea-weeds or otlier submarine objects. When sutticieiitly mature, however,
. Text-book of zoology for junior students. Zoology. 108 INYEin'EBltATE AXIMALS. When yoinig, the ComatiiJa is so different in apjjearance from the adult, that it was originally descrilied as a distinct animal. It con- sists now uf a little cup-sliajied difc with ten radiating ai-ms above, jirodnced by the splitting into two of five primary rays, and furnished inferiorly with a little flexible column or stalk composed of a number of cal- careoiis joints. B}' this jointed stem the body is at this period of life fixed to sea-weeds or otlier submarine objects. When sutticieiitly mature, however, the body drops ott' its stalk, and tlien only re- quires to grow in size to become a fully developed Comatula. The stalked condition which we have just seen to constitute a merely temporary stage in the life-history of Comattda is, on the other hand, the per- manent state of parts in all the " Stone - lilies " and in most other fossil Crinoidea, and in a few living forms. Of the living stalked Crinoids the ones with which naturalists have been longest acquainted are the species of Pentacrinus, from the seas of the West Recently a number of stalked Crinoids have been obtained from great dejiths in the sea, showing that these ancient types still survive, tliough in much diminished iiundicrs. One of the most interesting of tliese deep-sea iti' (fig. 67), which seems to b.' distriliuted over the whole of the deeper jiortiona of the. ir tilllrs â ml siz lie .rth ilistriliuted AUautic. little A7//:<)rv ver the whole of /.,/. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Nicholson, Henry Alleyne, 1844-1899. New York, American Book Co
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1885
