CAMPANULARIAD^ : CYMODOCEA. 117 



Hah. The sea near Yarmouth, and in Ireland, Turner. 

 Height nearly three inches : colour a yellow-fawn. 



2. 0. coMATA, stems straight., cylindrical, almost simple; 

 branchlets capillary., tohorled, numerous, flexuous, jointed and 

 celUferous. Dr. Leach. * 



Cymodocea comata, Lumour. Exposit. Method. 1.5, pi. C7, fig. 12, 13. Flem, Brit. 

 Anim. 551. 



Hah. Coast of Devonshire, Leach. 



Height about one decimetre : colour yellowish. At each joint of 

 the branchlets there is a short cell ringed at its base, and almost in- 

 visible to the naked eye. 



I have seen no authentic specimen of either species, the above de- 

 scriptions being translated from the works of Lamouroux. He says 

 that Cymodocea has the closest relations with Tubularia ; from which, 

 however, it differs in the position of the polype- cells, which are 

 placed, not at the top of the branches, but upon these branches or 

 upon their divisions. From this circumstance Lamouroux classes 

 the genus amongst the Sertulariadce, to which alliance the absence 

 of ovarian vesicles seems opposed ; nor can we hope to locate the 

 genus with any certainty until the polypes have been discovered. 

 The very existence of the genus has in fact been questioned. Mr. 

 J. E. Gray, a high authority in matters of this kind, says, " the 

 Cymodoceae appear to be only Sertularife which have lost their 

 cells" (Synop. of Brit. Mus. p. 75) ; and Blainville makes the same 

 assertion in reference to the above species. Milne-Edwards also 

 adopts this view (Lam. Anim. s. Vert. 2de edit. ii. 157). Mr. Couch is 

 satisfied that Cymodocea simj^lex is founded on injured specimens 

 of Laomedea gelatinosa (Zooph. Cornw. 24). Dr. Fleming is of 

 opinion that G. simplex has been established from an individual of 

 Camjximdaria cUcliotoma in a depauperated state (Brit. Anim. 

 548) ; while again Mr. Hogg informs me that he is almost satisfied 

 that this Cymodocea is Plumularia pinnata with its pinnte rubbed 

 off by the waves or tide on the beach ; and the specimens he has 

 sent me, in confirmation of this supposition, are certainly very exact 

 to Lamouroux's figure, nat. size, — for it must be observed that his 



* William Elford Leach — a naturalist of most indomitalile enthusiasm and very- 

 extraordinary acquirements. He died in Italy iii 1836, of cholera. " We may say, 

 with respect to the extent and eifect of his zoological labours, — Nihil non tetigit, et 

 omnia quae tetigit omavit." — Kirby. 



