Mr. A. H. HassalPs Catalogue of Irish Zoophytes. 369 



part rounded : aperture contracted, circular, with a minute spout* 

 like elongation below ; teeth either three or four, surrounding the 

 upper half of the aperture : on either side of the small spout4ike 

 elongation referred to, a short blunt j^rocess is visible. See Plate 

 IX. fig. 8.— A. H. H. 



On stones east of Kingstown harbour, and at the Giant's Cause- 

 way : not common. 



Memhranipora stellata, Thompson. A species has been described 

 by Mr. Thompson in the ' Annals of Natural History ' for April 

 1840, p. 101, under the name of Flustra or Memhranipora stellata. 

 This supposed species I have ascertained to be merely Memhranipora 

 pilosa, with the bristle abortive, on an exi)anded surface. I wrote 

 to Mr. Thompson upon the subject, at the same time forwarding 

 specimens for examination, and that gentleman's reply was con- 

 firmatory of my opinion. Mr. Thompson was, I believe, the first 

 who described M. pilosa to assume the stellate form, and to have 

 the cells disposed in the manner indicated in the description of M. 

 stellata. 



Flustra truncala. — Giant's Causeway, abundant ; but not found 

 upon the coast of Dublin. 



F. avicularis. This species in a recent state is of a reddish 

 colour, but becomes of a grayish black in drying; this change of 

 colour in drying is, I believe, peculiar to this species, and the cause 

 of it I am not acquainted with. I have sometimes observed the 

 bird's-head appendages (whose motions are so very peculiar and un- 

 accountable) described as belonging to C avicularia, on this species. 

 I now find that this sj^ecies is very abundant in Dublin Bay. 

 F. lineata. Not uncommon on Patella caerulea : Bray. 

 F. tuberculata. Not common : Merrion, Dublin Bay. 

 F. distans. Polypidom encrusting, grayish, calcareous, reticu- 

 lated ; cells oval ; margin broad, having its inner edge slightly cre- 

 nulated ; two short processes are visible at each upper angle of the 

 cells. 



I am informed by Dr. Johnston that this species was discovered 

 some years ago by Mr. Bean, but that the habitat of his specimen 

 was unknown. It is on this account, I imagine, that no descrip- 

 tion of it has as yet been given in Dr. Johnston's 'British Zoophytes.' 

 Dr. Johnston, in a recent letter to me, remarks, " yours is the only 

 native specimen I have seen." From a comparison of specimens of 

 this with Flustra tuberculata, I cannot help suspecting that they are 

 in fact one and the same species. When at Belfast a short time 

 since, I saw several fine specimens of this species in Mr. Thomp- 

 son's cabinet, obtained some time since upon the coasts of Down 

 and Antrim. 



On stones east of Kingstown harbour : not common, 



F. carnosa. This species, which is undoubtedly no Flustra, ought 



to be raised to a generic rank and placed in the family Alcyonidula. 



Pallas asserts (I quote from memory) that the tentacula vary from 



18 to 30 : this assertion I am not able to verify, having constantly 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol vii. 2 B 



