SALACIA ABIETINA. 213 



calycle, and project fully a calycle's length beyond the 

 opening. The body is slightly thicker at the upper ex- 

 tremity, where the mouth is placed on the top of a conical 

 proboscis, which rises from the centre of the tentacular 

 wreath." The tentacles are held alternately erect and 

 standing out straight from the body. The colour of the 

 polypites is light sulphur or greenish yellow. " They are 

 very shy, seldom protrude themselves, and only when they 

 are in perfectly fresh sea-water. At the slightest touch 

 or shaking of the vessel in which they are kept, they draw 

 themselves back with extreme rapidity and with a jerk, 

 like the Polyzoa, not only into their calycles, but, as the 

 latter are not furnished with a transverse partition, even 

 out of them, and within the tube of the compound stems 

 and branches, so that the calycle is left quite empty." 

 " The whole polypary is strong, rigid, of a light brownish- 

 yellow colour ; the calycles are transparent, with a slight 

 yellowish tinge"*. Sars has never found any trace of the 

 reproductive bodies. 



The Grammaria robusta (Stimpson) is founded on young 

 and unbranched specimens of the present species. 



Hab. From the deep-water fishing-boats, Northumber- 

 land, rather rare; Coquet and Berwick Bay (J. A.) : Shet- 

 land, not rare in deep water (A. M. N.) . 



[Near Bergen, in 30-40 fathoms, on stony ground, not 

 rare ; North Cape, of larger size and more luxuriantly 

 branched (Sars) : Grand Manan, Bay of l\moly, Lami- 

 narian zone (Stimpsou). 



Salacia abietina is confined to the north, and, accord- 

 ing to Sars, is a truly Arctic form. The north appears 

 to be the headquarters of the Lafoeidce generally.] 



* Beimvrkuinger over IhvXorsko H\ ih-oitkT, p. l.'J. 



