CLAVA MULTICORNIS. O 



the creeping filiform base, white, rose-, or flesh-coloured, 

 with numerous tentacles; GONOPHORES round, hanging 

 in many-pedicled clusters immediately behind the lower 

 tentacles. 

 Height about ^ inch. 



AFTER much consideration I venture to assign For- 

 skal's name to the common Clava of our coasts, with 

 scattered polypites. I admit at once that it is difficult to 

 arrive at a conclusion, and that there is room for diversity 

 of opinion. Forskal's description becomes hopelessly 

 obscure at the very point where it should be clearest, and 

 I can only urge that the interpretation which I put upon 

 his words is as good as any other that can be offered. His 

 figure, however, though poor, seems to me intelligible 

 enough, and I have no doubt that it was suggested by the 

 present species. Probably he may have confounded, as 

 other naturalists have done, the scattered and the clustered 

 forms. The Hydra squamata of Miiller is one of the 

 clustered species, and both his description and figure are 

 excellent. It is desirable to retain for the science, if 

 possible, both these early and well-knoAvn names ; and I 

 therefore propose relying chiefly on the figure to connect 

 Forskal's with the scattered form, and to refer Miiller's 

 to one of the species with clustered polypites. 



The number of arms in this pretty species, as amongst 

 all the Hydroids of this suborder, varies with age. It 

 ranges up to 30 or 40. The prevalent colour of the poly- 

 pites is a rich rose, and there are few more beautiful 

 sights of the kind than a fine colony of this zoophyte 

 overspreading the surface of some tide-pool stone. The 

 oral extremity is opake white. The anterior portion of the 

 body is endowed with great mobility, and materially 

 assists the tentacles in the capture of prey. The latter 

 are slightly enlarged at the tip, which is covered with 



B.2 



