322 Mr. Ch. C. Babington on the correct Nomenclature of the 



ZOOPHYTA. 



Cellepora Skenei, Ellis and Solander (sp.) ; Johnst. Brit. Zoop. 

 p.275. pl.32. f.6— 8. 



Among " corallines " taken in the trawl-nets in very deep water 

 off the eastern coast of Ireland, and preserved in Miss Ball's collec- 

 tion, is a specimen of C. Skenei which was pointed out to me by that 

 lady in May last. Dr. Johnston, in his ' British Zoophytes,' p. 276, 

 remarks — " Notwithstanding the apparent dissimilarity in habit of 

 the three preceding Celleporce [C. Skenei^ C. ramulosa and C. pumi- 

 cosd], I cannot but suspect that they are merely different states of 

 the same species, for in these productions the * fronti nulla fides ' 

 receives many an apposite illustration." This specimen tends to bear 

 out the correctness of the view that the three forms are not speci- 

 fically different : the form C. Skenei is rare ; C. ramulosa not common ; 

 C.pumicosa abundant : this last may perhaps be considered the base 

 of both the others. With this one specimen of C. Skenei, a good 

 deal of C. ramulosa was taken of small size adherent to Sertularia ar- 

 gent ea. 



Retepora cellulosaf Linn, (sp.) ; Johnston, Brit. Zoop. p. 297, 

 vignette no. 46. p. 283. 



Professor AUman informs me that he has in his possession a spe- 

 cimen of this Retepora attached to a Pinna obtained by the long-line 

 fishermen in spring last at Cape Clear. 



Iluanthos Scoticus, Forbes, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 183. pi. 3 ? 



A number of specimens of an Iluanthos (and there is little doubt 

 belonging to this species, though from their not having been seen in a 

 living state a note of interrogation is added) were found by Mrs. W. J, 

 Hancock on the beach at Balbriggan, after a storm in March 1843. 



The only other specimens recorded were taken in four fathoms 

 water at Loch Ryan, south-west of Scotland. 



XLV. — On the correct Nomenclature of the Lastrsea spinosa and 

 L. multiflora of Newman, By Charles C. Babington, M.A., 

 F.L.S., F.G.S. &c.* 



Lastrcea spinosa. — In Newman^s ' History of British Ferns' 

 tbis name is adopted for the plant usually known in England as 

 Aspidium spinulosum (Sw.), on account of Roth having been the 

 first botanist who, in Mr. Newinan^s opinion, properly distin- 

 guished this plant from the fern known in this country by the 

 name of A. dilatatum, and called by Roth Polysticum multiflorum. 

 That Roth deserves the credit of very carefully distinguishing the 

 plants will be allowed by all who read his observations upon them, 



• Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 10th April, 1845. 



