490 Zoological Illustratio7is : — Tergipes pulcher 



T^rgipes pulcher : o, natural sizej b, magnified. 



Art. v. Illustrations in British Zoology. By George John- 

 ston, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edin- 

 burgh. 



22. Te'rgipes pu'lcher. {fig. 59.) 



CI. Gasteropoda, Ord. Nudibranchia, Fam. Glaucidae. 



The Tdrgipes is a naked sea snail with external branchiae 

 disposed in two series, one along each side of the back ; they 



are of a cylindrical 

 59 . ^^^ac^s^^U^ ^ . form, and it is sup- 



posed that the apex 

 of each forms a 

 little sucker by 

 means of which 

 the animal can fix 

 itself to the stalks 

 and fronds of sea- 

 weed, and walk 

 upon its back. 

 Rang is of opinion 

 that this fact re- 

 quires new observ- 

 ations to assure us of its certainty ; and the species about 

 to be described never performed any such remarkable feat 

 during the few hours it was preserved. 



One species (D6ri5 maculata Montagu) has already been 

 described as a native of the coast of Devon, but it differs in 

 so many particulars from ours, that some may deem it ne- 

 cessary to arrange them in separate genera, and we, at all 

 events, may be spared the necessity of elaborating a compara- 

 tive description to prove their distinctness. Tergipes pulcher 

 was found in Berwick Bay, upon a piece of wood brought up 

 by the line from deep water : its motions were slow and glid- 

 ing, like the rest of its tribe ; but, unlike the greater number 

 of these, it was ornamented with spots of such warm and 

 brilliant colours, that it might possibly have attracted the notice 

 of even those who wonder very much what there is in a snail 

 that it should have admirers. 



Tergipes pulcher is half an inch long, ovate, soft, white, 

 ornamented with scarlet tubercles scattered over the back, 

 and with short cylindrical processes tipt with bright orange 

 arranged round the sides : mouth subinferior, terminal, with 

 a linear-oblong membranous tongue, set with minute prickles 

 in close transverse series : tentacula two, dorsal, non-retractile, 

 short, oval, imbricate, orange- coloured : back even, studded 

 with many scarlet unequal tubercles, some of which, when 



