164 HISTOllY OF BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



Hab. Parasitical on corallines and seaweeds. 



" This very minute coralline arises from small irregular 

 tubes^ which adhere to and twine about other corallines, 

 particularly the sickle coralHne. Exceedingly small twisted 

 stalks go out from this tubular stem, whicli supports little 

 bell-shaped cups with indented brims. At the bottom of 

 each, where they join to the stalks, the microscope discovers 

 to us a very minute spherule or little ball, as in some drink- 

 ing-glasses."^ [Ellis.) The stalks are sometimes even and 

 smooth. We were rather surprised, on one occasion, to see 

 the stalks without a ring, quite smooth, and of greater 

 length than usual; but we could account for this on reading 

 the observations of Mr. Couch, ^Uhat the animal possesses 

 the power of corrugating the whole,'' and, consequently, of 

 relaxing the corrugation. It was some time before we 

 observed the vesicles, which are less conspicuous from 

 being sessile, but they are of considerable size, ovate, and 

 wrinkled. 



On the west coast of Scotland, it is chielly found on 

 lial'ulrys and other seaweeds, though we have seen it on the 

 shell of a crab. Lately, on taking up on the shore a drifted 

 larch branch, we found every twig of it " bearded like the 

 pard '^ with this little parasite. It is a beautiful microscopic 



