on the West Coast of Scotland, 329 



swimming tliey extend horizontally from the body, and show, at 

 the base of the neck, betwixt the upper part of the fins, a whitish 

 protuberance bearing some resemblance to the shield on the back 

 of Aplysia depilans. 



At the base of each fin, and pretty close to the back, there 

 could be seen, when the light was favourable, all along the in- 

 side, a line like the midrib of a leaf ; and from this double mid- 

 rib there proceeded at intervals, veins in a slanting direction to 

 the upper margin of each fin ; so that when the two fins were ex- 

 panded, it was like a green-veined leaf. To this appearance it 

 may at times owe its safety by deceiving the eye of prowlers. 



The description of the mouths given by IMontagu suited my 

 specimens, except that in them the margin only of the upper lip 

 was black. The lower lip and part of the throat were quite white, 

 and were the only parts that had none of the azure or golden 

 dots. I may mention in conclusion, that when the animal was 

 held betwixt the eye and the hght, the body and the fins seemed 

 full of darkish granules. 



On mentioning to Mrs. Griffiths (a name dear to naturalists) 

 that I had fallen in with this green beauty, she informed me that 

 it was frequently found in Devonshire on the Codium tomentosum, 

 which seems to be its favourite pasture-ground ; and on which, 

 from similarity of colour, it may often escape detection. ^ 



Syrinx papillosus, Thomp. 



In the month of March last, when my daughter Margaret was 

 picking up some Algse on the strand near to Stevenston Burn- 

 foot, she observed on the shore a number of gelatinous creatures, 

 blown up like little bags. Fortunately she brought one of them 

 home with her ; and unfortunately she brought but one ; for it 

 turned out to be the rare Syrinx papillosus. I kept it alive for 

 some time and made some observations on it, which I sent, 

 along with its poor remains, to Mr. Thompson. He is a person 

 whom it is a pleasure and a privilege to consult in doubts and 

 difficulties. 



I shall add the substance of what 1 wrote to Mr. Thompson 

 respecting Syrinx papillosus. 



When found it was in the form of a soda-water bottle, about 

 an inch and a half in length, and about ^ths of an inch in dia- 

 meter. On being put into sea- water, it assumed very much the 

 appearance of the figure given by Forbes, being nearly 3 inches 

 in length. The concentric striae were rather faint ; but the lon- 

 gitudinal ones looked like ribs, about fifteen in number, and were 

 fully twice as distant from each other as the concentric ones 

 which they crossed. It soon became flaccid, and contracted to 

 less than half an inch in diameter ; but it firmly adhered to the 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xv. 2 A 



