LAFOEA PARVULA. 203 



commonly longer and thinner in the British than in the 

 northern form. Sars describes the polypite of his fmti- 

 cosa as " white or ash-coloured; " but that of gracillima, as 

 observed on beautiful specimens procured at Oban, where 

 the species occurs in great luxuriance, is citron-coloured. 

 If these differences should prove to be constant, it may be 

 necessary to separate the northern from the British form, 

 and to retain the two names. Authority is pretty well 

 balanced on the point. Sars is inclined to regard them 

 as distinct ; Alder considered them identical. 



Hub. On shells, zoophytes, &c. Northumberland and 

 Durham (from deep water) occasionally (J. A.): Oban Bay 

 (in 15-20 fathoms), very fine and abundant (T. H.): Shet- 

 land (A. M. N.): South Devon (J. A.). 



[Common near Bergen in 30-50 fath., especially where 

 there is a strong current ; Tromso, rarer ; North Cape, 

 extremely abundant (40-50 fathoms) in a strong current, 

 on rocky ground (Sars): coast of Iceland, in 100 fathoms 

 (the northern form) (T. H.).] 



I have examined the Lafoea from Bass's Straits in Mr. 

 Busk's collection, referred to by Alder (North. & Durh. 

 Cat.), and have little doubt that it is identical with the pre- 

 sent species. 



3. L. PARVULA, Hincks. 



" Further notes on British Zoophytes," Ann. N. H. for March 1853, (ser. 2) 

 xi. 178, pi. v. A. 



Plate XL. fig. 1. 



STEM creeping; HYDROTHEC.E very minute, cylindrical, 

 broad (width considerably more than half the lengtli], 

 rounded off below, with an entire aperture, borne on 

 short, ringed stalks (4 rings]; GONOTHEC^E unknown. 



THE creeping stem is of great delicacy, and forms a rude 



