192 Z. ASTEROIDA. 



In the " Annals of Natural History" for May 1838, Mr J. E. 

 Gray has inserted the following notice — " Miss AttersoU has lately 

 discovered, on the coast of Sussex, the Cornularia rugosa of 

 Cavolini, growing on a Tubularia, and has communicated specimens 

 of these interesting zoophytes to the British Museum. This genus 

 has hitherto been believed to be confined to the Mediterranean. It 

 diifers from most other horny zoophytes in the tentacles being pin- 

 nate like those of Gorgonia." V. i. p. 238. 



To enable the student to identify this species— certainly among the 

 most singular of its order — I have given a copy of Cavolini's figure, 

 (Vignette, No. 27, p. 187) ; and it may be useful to add the generic cha- 

 racter : " Polyparium basi affixum, corneum ; surcuHs simplicibus, in- 

 fundibuliformibus, erectiusculis, polypum unicum singulis continenti- 



bus. Polypi solitarii, terminales : ore tentaculis octo dentato-pinna- 



tis, uniserialibus." Lam. Anim. s. Vert. ii. 128, 2de edit. 



On the eve of the preceding remarks being sent to press, I receiv- 

 ed from Mr J. E. Gray a specimen of the Cornularia from " Wey- 

 mouth." I agree entirely with this sagacious naturalist in his 

 opinion of the identity of the zoophyte with Cavolini's. In texture 

 it accords with Sertularia. The root-like fibre is filiform and tubu- 

 lar, creeping in a flexuous manner, along the stem of Tubularia indi- 

 visa, and putting out at irregular intervals, tubular vase-like cells from 

 two to three lines in height. The cells are smooth, with a narrow 

 base and a wide even aperture. (Fig. 23, a and b, p. 181.) 



The examination of it has thrown new light on the Polypidom 

 described at p. 157, under the name of Campanularia dumosa. I have 

 there expressed my doubts as to the real position of that species, 

 and I had indeed a suspicion of its being an ascidian zoophyte allied 

 to the Vesicularia. Now, however, there can be little doubt that it 



a Cornularia, probably identical with the C. rugosa, for its com- 

 paratively smaller size may depend on peculiarity of habitat. To 

 shew their similarity, 1 place a figure of it beside the other. 

 (Fig. 24, a, i. p. 181.) 



IS 



