48 



the conchological indices, which afford valuable corroborative 

 assistance. 



At Exmouth this species is taken in the coralline zone in 

 great abundance ; so much so, that they might be, perhaps, 

 preserved in jars, if their delicacy did not prevent sufficient 

 firmness, and would prove a more delicious morsel than the 

 pickled oysters of the Italian warehouse. 



P. VARIUS, Linnseus. 

 P. varius, Brit. Moll. ii. p. 273, pi. 50. f. 1. 



The general structure and composition of this animal is so 

 similar to that of the type, P. opercularis, that it will only be 

 necessary to note the specialty variations. In this species, 

 the reflected or inner free margin is, as to colour, marked with 

 pale red or brown irregular blotches, with the edge fringed 

 with a single row of thin, white, blunt filaments, which, though 

 short, vary in length ; the outer or fixed margin has at the 

 innermost part, at equal distances, a row of long, conical, 

 light yellow cirrhi ; to these succeed 30-35 ocelli, which have 

 more black and a less pearly appearance in them than in the 

 tvpe ; and the outermost paraphernalia of this margin consists 

 of two irregular rows of extremely fine, snow-white filaments 

 of three lengths. The branchiae are in all respects similar to 

 the type, except in being of the palest drab ; the body and 

 ovarium, which is amalgamated with it, is of a pale yellow 

 cream-colour, mottled with thick-set flakes, which have the 

 aspect of ova ; we are not sure if the vermilion colour ever 

 appears in this species ; all its organs are of a much more deli- 

 cate, elegant and refined aspect than in any of its congeners 

 of similar bulk. The intestine terminates by a short, white, 

 slightly grooved rectum, spatulate at the end. The labia are 

 pale fawn, and the two connecting foliated rows of fringe of 

 light drab. The ovarium, or that part of the body consti- 

 tuting this organ, is at this season, August, full of ova, and an 

 opake red milky fluid, as in the type. We here repeat, that 

 we do not believe in the bisexuality of the Acephala, by which 

 term is meant that each individual is either male or female. 



