Cephalis

“ The central capsule is originally always enclosed in the cephalis, and has there a simple, subspherical, ellipsoidal or ovate form. As soon as their growth increases, and the enclosing cephalis becomes too narrow, it sends out prolongations in the form of basal lobes, which depend from its base, and proceed through the pores of the basal lattice of the cephalis, or the cortinar pores. ”

“ Cephalis trilobate, of about the same breadth and length as the campanulate thorax, which is three times as long as the flat cap-shaped abdomen. The middle (or central) lobe of the cephalis is simple, nearly cubical, and smaller than the ovate occipital and frontal lobe. ”

“ It is usually subspherical or hemispherical and armed with an apical horn. In a small number of genera the horn is lost, in some other genera multiplied. The cephalis is separated from the thorax not only externally by the collar constriction, but commonly also internally by a transverse horizontal fenestrated septum, which usually exhibits three or four characteristic cortinar pores. ”

“ We will only point out that the bilocular character of the cephalis (in opposition to the simple cephalis of the Monocyrtida) in the majority of Zygospyrida is apparent on the first view, and that it is always demonstrated by an accurate examination of the sagittal ring and its relation to the longitudinal constriction of the cephalis (compare p. 1019) . ”

“ Richard Hertwig demonstrated that the cavity of the ovate shell, externally simple, is divided by an internal transverse septum into two joints, the upper of which is the flat rudimentary cephalis (Organism. d. Radiol., p. 79; compare also Bütschli, 1882, loc. cit., p. 535) . Indeed this septum, with four central crossed cortinar beams, is a true collar septum, and Carpocanium has been derived from Anthocyrtis or Desmospyris by reduction of the cephalis, which is very flat and perfectly hidden in the uppermost part of the thorax. ”

“ In addition there occur numerous monaxon lattice-shells in which neither of these elements can be recognised, but a simple ovoid lattice-shell (cephalis) alone forms the whole skeleton or its primary part (Pl. 51, fig. 13; Pl. 98, fig. 13) . The great difficulty in the morphological interpretation and phylogenetic derivation of the Nassellarian skeleton lies in the fact that each of these three elements—the primary sagittal ring, the basal tripod, and the latticed cephalis—may form the whole skeleton by itself or be combined with one or both of the others (p. 893) . ”

“ We distinguish here twenty genera and one hundred and fifty species. The majority have a shell with a simple wide open mouth (Theopilida, fourteen genera and one hundred and eighteen species) , in the minority the mouth is closed by lattice-work (Theoperida, six genera and thirty-two species) .
The three joints of the shell have in the majority of Podocyrtida such a proportion that the cephalis is the smallest, the abdomen the largest, and the thorax between them intermediate in size. The cephalis bears almost constantly an apical horn ”

“ The cephalis in the Phormospyrida exhibits the same typical structure, which we have described above, of all Spyroidea (compare, p. 1017) . The thorax or the second joint of the shell arises by reticular connection of the bases of the basal feet, and represents a cylindrical or truncate-conical joint in the polypodal forms, or a three-sided joint in the tripodal forms. The terminal aperture or the mouth of the thorax is constantly open, and surrounded by the free ends of the feet. ”