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On a Species of Beroe found cm the North-east Coast of Ireland, 

 By Robert Patterson, Esq. Treasurer to the Belfast Mu- 

 seum. Communicated by the Author. * With figures on 

 Plate I. 



The necessity of separating the species of Beroe, furnished 

 with long ciliated tentacula, from such as are destitute of these 

 organs, was so apparent, that Dr Fleming was induced to form 

 them into a distinct genus, under the term Pleurohrachia. The 

 only British species yet included in this division is the Beroe 

 pikus. It was first added to the British Fauna by Montagu in 

 1812. It is mentioned by Scoresby in his Arctic Regions, and 

 several interesting particulars respecting it are recorded by Au- 

 douin and Milne Edwards. For the principal part of our know- 

 ledge respecting it, we are, however, indebted to the excellent 

 paper published by Dr Grant in the Transactions of the Zoolo- 

 gical Society. 



During the spring and summerof the present year, 1835, 1 have 

 taken in considerable numbers on the north-east coast of Ireland, 

 a species of Beroe, furnished with tentacula, but differing in many 

 particulars from the Beroe pileus described by Dr Grant. As the 

 high character as a naturalist which this gentleman has so justly 

 attained, precludes the imputation of inaccuracy on his part, I 

 am compelled to believe that the Irish species is distinct from the 

 B» pileus, and consequently that it has not hitherto been record- 

 ed as British. 



While the observations I have now to bring forward were in 

 progress, I resided in the immediate vicinity of the small sea- 

 port town of Larne, in the county of Antrim. My lodging 

 was situated on the small peninsula termed the Corran,-|- and 

 nearly midway between the two stations, whence ferry-boats ply 

 to the opposite peninsula of Island Magee. Through the nar- 

 row channel, across which these boats are continually plying, the 

 tide runs with great rapidity into Larne Lough. Hence I had, 



• The principal part of this paper was read by the Author before the Natu- 

 ral History Society of Belfast on the 3d of June 1835, and several living spe- 

 cimens of the animal exhibited. 



■j" This word in the Irish language signifies " Reaping Hook," to which im- 

 plement the little peninsula has a striking resemblance in form. 



