TRITONHDiE. 67 



Family VIII. TRITONI'IDiE [H. & A. Adams]. 



Body with, a small or rudimentary mantle, bearing on its 

 margin the branchial processes, which are plumose or lamellated : 

 head with a veil : mouth with corneous jaws : tentacles 2, dor- 

 sal : vent lateral. 



Genus TRITO'NIA [*], Cuvier. 

 [PI. III. f. 2.] 



Body limaciforni, subquadrate, with a rudimentary mantle 

 or distinct pallial margin : head-veil large, fringed or papillose : 

 tentacles fasciculated, retractile within sheaths : branchial pro- 

 cesses plumose or lamellated, arranged along the pallial ridge 

 on the sides of the back : odontophore broad, with numerous 

 lateral spines, a tricuspid central spine, and a broad plate on 

 each side of it : jaws very large. 



1. Tritonia Hombergi, {Hombergii) Cuvier. 



T. Hombergii, Cm. Mem. du Mus. i. p. 483, pi. 31. f. 1, 2 ; A. & H. Brit. 

 Nud. Moll. fam. 2, pi. 2. 



Body broadly oblong, subconvex, varying in colour from dark 

 purple-brown to light brown, fleshcolour, and yellowish-white ; 

 it is covered on the back with large, unequal, soft, warty 

 tubercles : head-veil large, strongly bilobed and fringed on the 

 edge : tentacles stout, bearing a fasciculus of branched filaments, 

 and a stout, truncated process behind ; they are retractile 

 within widish sheaths, which are everted and a little undulated 

 at the top : branchial processes laminated or leaf- like, set along 

 the pallial margin on each side of the back, and extending 

 nearly to the tail, forming nearly continuous irregular-sized 

 tufts, the larger ones turned upwards on the back : foot rather 

 broad, rounded in front. L. 4-6. 



Habitat : In deep water on all parts of the British coast, 

 but not very common. 



This is the largest of our Nudibranchs, sometimes reaching 

 7 or 8 inches in length. Its range appears to extend along 

 the whole of the eastern shores of Europe. [W. Sweden 



[* A surname of Minerva.] 



