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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Chondrus, Ulva, Amphora, and many others 

 flourished. At high tide the whole shore was 

 covered, while even at the lowest ebb an ample 

 supply of sea-water remained in the pool to sustain 

 the exuberant life. Three varieties of that non- 

 contractile anemone Anthea ccrcus first attracted my 

 notice. The one had the tentacula sea-green 

 coloured, each having a rosy-pink tip, the others 

 were slate and fawn respectively, without the tipped 

 tentacles. Actinia crassicoruis, with crimson body 

 and white tentacles ringed like porcupine quills, was 

 less generally distributed. The ova of brittle stars 

 embedded in a mass of slate-coloured jelly covered 

 the surface of one rocky ledge, and the ova of various 

 mollusca lurked beneath the stones. The silvery 

 white cells of Membranipora pilosa and M. mem- 

 branacea infested the fronds of most suitable weeds ; 

 the polyps expanded vigorously under the microscope 

 a few hours later. With the inch objective I have 

 found the spinous cell structure can best be studied 

 on a transparent frond of Ulva : every detail is then 

 visible, whereas on thick algae it is extremely difficult 

 to observe the growth with precision. 



Three other kinds of Polyzoa appeared abundant 

 at this spot, all well worth a patient examination. 

 The enormous polyps of Flustra hispida could be 

 seen with the naked eye projecting from brown 

 masses of the fleshy substance adhering to Fuci, 

 Jania, Chondrus, etc. A Codrington lens shows the 

 five spines surrounding the rim of each cell. The 

 polyp is of splendid form, with at least twenty 

 ciliated tentacles creating an incessant vortex for the 

 necessary food supply of the animal. Sometimes on 

 the very same weed I found the equally beautiful 

 colonies of Cycloum papillosum, with the polyps 

 shooting out from conical cells forming ridges along 

 the edges of a frond which — under the inch power, 

 resembled a chain of miniature mountains. Some- 

 what different in growth from either of the above, I 

 found the creeping stems of Farella repens, with the 

 more elongated polyps, having about twelve tentacles, 

 encased in sacs united to the common stem but 

 standing apart from each other. These, with 

 Sertularia pumila, were common everywhere, whilst 

 a Lepralia (sp.) encrusting the stones and roots of a 

 Laminaria, here very plentiful, was new to me, the 

 only one of its genus that I have ever seen with a 

 bright orange-coloured polyp. The outer wall of the 

 cell was silver-white, profusely punctured on every 

 side ; the rim appeared to be contracted in an 

 irregular circle, a second cavity being visible below 

 the real cell and quite distinct from it. Each cell 

 had a short spine at one side, and an operculum or 

 lid above it ; the rows of cells were regular, and 

 equidistant, the animals having eighteen tentacles 

 ciliated and orange in colour. Relying on an old 

 edition of Johnson's "British Zoophytes," I have 

 been unable to identify the species ; if there is any 

 correspondent of Science-Gossip who has access to 



Hinck's " Polyzoa," I shall feel indebted if he will 

 determine the specific form of Lepralia if possible 

 from my description. 



Attached to a species of Polysiphonia the club- 

 headed and naked polyps of Coryne pusilla grew 

 plentifully, easily detected under the microscope by 

 the cable-like stem, and reddish tentacles, each one 

 swollen at the head. The graceful Laomedea 

 gelatinosa had the ovarian vesicles very fully 

 developed, and several free swimming bodies in the 

 same trough I took to be the medusoid form of the 

 same polyp. On Sertularia pumila the lively 

 Pedicellina echinata was busily engaged in frantic 

 efforts to knock off his own head — a feat that it often 

 achieves only to develop a fresh head. At the first 

 glance the creature might be mistaken for a thick 

 and heavy-looking Vorticella ; but the cilia of the 

 short tentacles and digestive organs soon reveal the 

 higher organisation of the Polyzoa. Plicmularia 

 primata grew on the surface of the bare rock, and 

 amongst the other stray genera I collected Bozverbaukia 

 imbricata, Cellularia rcptans, Campanularia dumosa, 

 Crisia cornuta, Eucratia chclata. 



Amongst the hydroids I gathered half-a-dozen 

 specimens of Hydractinea echinata for the first time. 

 As far as I could detect there was no covering or 

 tube to the sluggish polyp. The eight tentacles 

 were not on the same plane, but stuck out at 

 different angles, and had granulations like a hydra. 

 The mouth or terminal orifice was very distinct. A 

 charming little white anemone striated on the body 

 and having several rows of white tentacles, I took to 

 be Actinia alba, the body being barely an inch in 

 circumference. Beneath a shelving rock which had 

 been recently washed by the tide the most brilliant 

 sponges, algse, and sea anemones grew, the orange, 

 yellow, red and green hues being beyond description. 



On a root of Plocamium several white bodies 

 attracted my attention. It was a group of Sycon 

 raphanus {vide Text -book of Zoology, Claus- 

 Sedgewick). The ovate individuals, constricted at 

 the base, showed the mouth or osculum fringed with 

 spicules standing erect. A longitudinal section also 

 revealed the radial tubes opening into the central 

 cavity, as well as spicula. 



A friendly fisherman who saw me at work amongst 

 what he styled "the live stones," brought an 

 offering in the shape of a splendid Echinus fresh 

 from his lobster pot. The bristly shell measured 

 eighteen inches in circumference and six inches in 

 depth. The spines were in vigorous motion, 

 together with the filamentary pedicellarise, which 

 were armed with a gaping process divided into four 

 parts. Placed in a basket of sea water, the creature 

 protruded the ambulacral organs to the length of 

 nearly two inches, a knot or sucker terminating 

 every one. The lips and teeth were visible around 

 the mouth, the stone canal having an exit near to the 

 vent. A more beautiful sight than this animal in full 



