Mr. C. Collingwood on Nudibranchiate Mollusca. 469 



received the name. The orange tip, however, though not in- 

 variable, is one of the most constant characters. The same 

 species is found upon the Cheshire shore. 



Eolis picta. — This very*handsome species has been found by 

 Dr. Edwards and myself in two localities, viz. Egremont, and 

 under stones between New Brighton and Leasowe. At the 

 former place I found large and richly coloured -specimens fully 

 three-quarters of an inch long. The papillse of Eolis picta, 

 though thick, are by no means without grace, and very buoyant ; 

 the animal itself is very active. 



Eolis despecta. — I found this pretty little Eolis in February 

 last, upon fronds of Laomedea gelatinosa growing in the rocky 

 pools at Egremont, midway between high- and low-water mark. 

 They were here in considerable numbers, in company with Doto 

 coronata and one or two specimens oi Eolis concinna, I have since 

 found them not unfrequent in the same locality — well-marked 

 individuals, in which the olive- green wavy line down the back 

 and the pink ring round the tips of the eight papillse were con- 

 spicuous. Its usual companion and allied species, Eolis exigua, 

 I have hitherto searched for in vain. The length of my speci- 

 mens was about one-sixth of an inch. 



Embletonia pallida. — The last species of Nudibranch which I 

 have to mention as occurring in the Mersey is a minute one, of 

 which no figure appears in Alder and Hancock's work. It was 

 described by them in the 'Annals' for August 1854, from spe- 

 cimens discovered by Mr. Price among sea-weeds upon the 

 Birkenhead shore. " It differs,'' they say, "from the other 

 British species in having a double series of papillae on each side ; 

 the tentacles, too, are placed much nearer together ; and the oral 

 lobes are small and indistinct, being united over the head in 

 front into a semicircular veil." Its length was only y^^j inch. 



It certainly appears that the less common Nudibranchs are 

 more or less gregarious in their habits. Among those who 

 search for them, very different impressions are received regard- 

 ing their numbers. One person may find several, and may 

 record them as common, while another equally good searcher 

 may be unsuccessful in finding any, and pronounces them very 

 rare; the fact is that, for some reason or other, a certain sec- 

 tion of these little creatures affect particular spots on the 

 shore, and there resort in some numbers. If a person happen 

 to pitch upon that spot, he may find several; another may 

 pass a yard or two on one side or the other, and find none. 

 The truth will probably lie between the two, and such species 

 are most likely neither very rare nor very common; such are 

 Eolis picta, and Ancula cristata. Some species, again, are 

 widely dispersed over the whole coast, and even these congre- 



