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XXI. — Observations on the Anguinaria spatulata. 

 By George Busk, Esq., F.L.S., &c. 



(Read January 26, 1848). 



The very remarkable Bryozoon, known under the name of Anguina- 

 ria spatulata, or the " Snake coralline " of Ellis, is stated by Dr. 

 Johnston to be " not common." I was, therefore, in respect of it, as 

 of the Notamia bursaria, fortunate in meeting with this species in 

 very great abundance and perfection, and in the same locality as the 

 former. It is parasitical upon Fuci, and appears to flourish in from 

 three- to ten-fathom water, and is not unfrequently associated with 

 other polypes on the same plant. An instance of this kind is shown 

 in fig. 1, PI. 26. It is here associated with Campanularia Integra, 

 and in other specimens I have seen it growing together with Lao- 

 medea obliqua and other Sertularians. Its character, as given in Dr. 

 Johnston's work, is as follows : — 



" Polype cells spathulate, erect, scattered, with a lateral aperture 

 near the apex ; originating from a creeping fistular subcalcareous fibre, 

 adnate to a foreign base. — Polypes ascidian." This character, I 

 think it will be seen, is incorrect in several particulars, which it is 

 partly the object of this paper to point out. 



The Bryozoon, as a whole, consists like all its congeners of two 

 distinct portions, one, usually termed the radical, and another, 

 which constitutes the proper polype cells. In the present instance, 

 the arrangement of these parts is in some respects very peculiar and 

 curious, but it will be found upon strict examination to accord accu- 

 rately with the universal type. The origin, or base, as it may 

 be termed, of the zoophyte is a more or less rounded disk of small 

 size, probably divided into compartments as in the Notamia, from 

 each of which arises a primary radical branch, in this species very 

 short ; these primary radical branches or tubes are directly continued 

 into a polype cell, but the cavities of the tube and cell are not con- 

 tinuous, being separated by a distinct dissepiment (fig. 7), so that the 



