48 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



tentacles, and compact masses of Palythoa caribboea are also conspicuous. Even the 

 compound Ascidians (Botryllids and Leptoclinids) are of a brilliant green colour. The 

 Tunicate fauna of Galle includes a common Ascidia allied to A. depressa of European 

 seas, a small red Cynthia, a dark brown Ascidia like A. fumigata of the Mediterranean, 

 a dull-grey Polyclinid (? Arnaroucium), and about half-a-dozen species of Leptoclinids, 

 one of a lilac colour, one of a rich green, one of a very dark brown, several white and 

 grey forms, and a large handsome new species with pinnacled upgrowths mottled 

 black and white, which I propose to describe under the name of Leptoclinam im-thurni. 

 Turning to non-colonial and more or less wandering animals, a feature of the lagoon 

 is the huge black, brown and mottled Holothurians, which lie about on the coral 

 sand and the commoner forms of which (Holothuria atra, II. marmorata, II. vagabunda 

 and H. tenuissima) are fished as "trepang." Some others (Actinopyga mauritiana) 

 have a flattened under-side and are coloured conspicuously black and white ; and we 

 were fortunate in finding three species which have been described as new by 

 Mr. Pearson, viz., Thyone homelli, Actinopyga serratidens and Holothuria gallensis, 

 Long-spined purple Echinids, large Ophiuroids, star-fishes, and other Echinoderms 

 are found. There are Turbellaria, including a beautiful white species with black 

 mottling which, Mr. Laidlaw tells me, will require a new genus near to Discocelis. 

 The Polychaete worms include spinous Polynoids, a large olive-green Loimia, Eurythoe 

 latissima, Onuphis niacula.ta, Notocirrus trigonocephalus, Cirratulus sp., a small 

 speckled Polymnia, a huge Sabellaria (S. bicornis), Spiochaiopterus herdmani, n. sp., 

 Hornell (under stones), species of Am phinome, Nereis, Syllis (with buds), Sabella 

 fusca, Lepidonotus crispatus, Ophryotrocha, Amplntrite, Pista, and others. We got 

 an orange-red Nemertine, and a white species with red lines ; also a pale yellow 

 Bcdanoglossus in the calcareous sand under stones. There were many Pagurids one 

 a brilliant species with scarlet facings, and having the chelse and other limbs barred 

 with light blue and black alternately. The Amphipods we collected in the lagoon 

 include, Mr. Walker reports. Hyperia galba, Hyperoche cryptodactylus, Leptophoxus 

 uncirostratus, Stenothoe monoculoides, Erichthonius abditus, Platophium sp., Mara 

 rabromaculata. and a new species of Ampelisca. Amongst the numerous Molluscs 

 are Cyprosa rnoneta, C. mauritiana, a Plcurobranchus, an orange Dons, an Aplysia, 

 an Octopjtis, Ilaipa conoidalis, Pleurotoma nodifera, Nerita sp., Terebra sp., several 

 other Cowries and Cones, Callochiton platessa, and a new species of Chiton which 

 Mr. Sykes has described as Ischnochiton herdmani. There were numerous brilliantly 

 coloured fishes, including the curious little Antennarius marmoratus, Less. 



This, of course, does not attempt to be a complete list, but merely to give some 

 idea of the variety and abundance of the shore fauna at the spot which we eventually 

 selected as the best in Ceylon for a Marine Biological Station. 



On February 16th, at 8 a.m., in Galle harbour, the sea-tempei-ature was 79 F., 

 and the specific gravity T023. On February 17th, at 7 a.m., off Watering Point, the 

 sea-temperature was 78"8 F., and at 6 p.m., at the same place, it was 80 F. At both 



