92 BRITISH TUNICATA. 



7. Ascidia mollis Alder and Hancock. 



(PL V, figs. 1-6 ; PL XVII, fig. 5 ; PL XIX, fig. 4 ; 

 and fio-s. 18 and 24- in text.) 



o / 



\_A.ycidta mollix ALDER and HANCOCK in Ann. Xat. Hist. (4) 

 VI (1870), p. 358.] 



Bot.li/ ovate, tabulated, nearly black, attached by a 

 small portion of the side at the lower half. Apertures, 

 branchial terminal, anal from half to two-thirds down, 

 rather inconspicuous. Test thick, smooth, and soft to 

 the touch, rather shining, obtusely lobed, of a bluish or 



Fi. 18. Ascidia mollis. Natural size. 



brownish black colour, showing some reddish veinings 

 near the apertures. Mantle dark blue, with the apertures 

 red. Teiitin:nlfri' fila incuts numerous, rather slender, 

 varying in size, short, distant. Branchial sac with 

 stoutish papillae at the intersections of the meshes, and 

 comparatively slender intermediate ones on the longi- 

 tudinal bars. Oral lamina very narrow, strongly ribbed, 

 and pectinated at the margin. 



Li'Htjth an inch and three quarters. 



Halt. [Below tide-marks ?] 



IRELAND. Birterbuy Bay, dredged (Brail;/), [and 

 Kilkieran Bay (More), 1869,] Connemara, Galway. 



First record. Hancock, 1870; coll. Brady [18(35]. 



Ascidia mollis is irregularly ovate, and is attached by 

 a small portion of the side so that the extremities are 

 free. The orifices are rather small and are slightly 



