374 POLYZOA INFUNDIBULATA. 



1. V. cuscuTA, stem with suhverticillate branches ; cells clus- 

 tered or in opj^osite pairs. Ellis. 



Climbing Dodder-like Coralline, Ellis Corall. 28, no. 26, pi. 14, fig. c, C. — Sertularia 

 Cuscuta, Lin, Syst. 1311. Pall. Elench. 125. Ellis and Soland. Zooph. 53. 

 Berk. Syn. i. 218. Mull. Zool. Dan. iii. 62, tab. 117, fig. 1-3. Turt. Gmel. iv. 

 680. rwr/. Brit. Faun. 214. Wern. Mem. i. 564. J?osc Vers. iii. 1 13. Stcn: 

 Elem. ii. 444. Fleming in Wern. Mem. iv. 485, pi, 15, fig. 1. — Valkeria Cuscuta, 

 Flem. Brit. Anim. 550. Farre in Phil. Trans, an. 1837, 402, pi. 23. Hassall in 

 Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. vii. 286. Van Beneden les Bryozoair. 27, pi. 4, fig. B. 

 Couch Corn. Faun. iii. QQ, pi. 17, fig. 3. — Vesicularia Cuscuta, Tliomp. Zool. Illust. 

 97, pi. 2, fig. 1-4. — Cuscutaria Cuscuta, Blainv. Actinol. 497, pi. 82, fig. 2. 



Hah. Parasitical on littoral sea weeds. West coast of England, 

 Ellis. Devonshire, Mrs. Griffiths. Fresli-water Bay, Isle of Wight, 

 W. Thompson. Cornwall and Norfolk, C. W. Peach. In the Frith 

 of Taj, Fleming. Leith shore, Jameson. Coast of Ayrshire, D. 

 Landshoroxigh. " This species, though little known, is by no means 

 rare, and is met with around the Irish coast. It is found on various 

 algoe in the loughs of Strangford and Belfast, but more particularly 

 on Halidrys siliquosa, which superlatively bears the palm as favour- 

 ite of the zoophytes," W. Thompson. 



" The main stems originate from tubular creeping roots, which in- 

 vest marine plants in shoal water : these stems are often jointed at 

 unequal distances, and give off a number of short branches, which 

 originate in pairs from its opposite sides, frequently just above a vi- 

 sible joint : these branches support the vesicles, which are scattered 

 over their surface in an irregular manner, and do not differ except in 

 size and number of tentacula, from those of V. imbricata : the teu- 

 tacula being 8 in number." J. V. Thomjoson. — " Height seldom above 

 two inches ; several stems usually arise from the same base, filiform, 

 jointed, waved, and support the branches and cells bifariously ; 

 branches opposite, nearly perpendicular to the stem, with a joint im- 

 mediately above their insertion : cells oval, sessile, upwards of ten 

 times the breadth of the stem, in pairs, at remote distances, project- 

 ing, and are probably ultimately converted into branches : sometimes 

 they occur in pairs or crowds in the axillae of the branches ; polypi 

 extend considerably beyond the margin, tentacula with hairs, which 

 by their motions, cause the water to ascend in a current on one side, 

 and descend on the other, acting, probably, as aerating organs." 

 Fleming. 



In the Zoologia Danica, Abildgaard gives the number of tentacula 

 as twelve, but the figure and description is in other respects so appli- 



