214 THE LUCEENARIA. 



these, little pools, four or five feet across and eighteen 

 inches deep, are formed, the matted roots of the 

 Zostera having been washed away. The bottom of 

 the pools is of clear sand, with innumerable broken 

 tubes of a species of Sahella [Terehellaf] and a few 

 Pagurus herjihardus, all small specimens ; also Venus 

 striatula and Mactra stuUorum. On the surface of 

 these little lakes, and round the edges, float the 

 leaves of the Zostera which grow nearest the margin ; 

 and attached to these leaves on their under-side s, with 

 the mouth and tentacles downwards, rests the Lucer- 

 naria on the watch for prey ; at times in a state of 

 rest, at others in constant motion. The heads of the 

 tentacles possess great power of adhesion, and I 

 expect you will find the filaments or threads highly 

 developed." 



The accompanying plate represents two specimens 

 of Lucernaria auricula attached to a pendent thread 

 of sea-weed. In the foreground is that fine bivalve 

 {Pectunculus glycimeris), which is taken in deep water 

 in this Bay ; its summit is covered with the common 

 Acorn-shell (Balanus balanoides) ; on which rests 

 the scarlet-lined ^Esop-prawn {Pandalus annuli- 

 cornis). Behind this spring two fronds of the Ladies' 

 tresses [Laminaria pliyllites) . From the rock above 

 the Lucernarice is growing a bushy tuft of a coarse 

 but curious Alga ( Ceramium ecJiionotum) ; and below 

 is seen a plant of exquisite structure, one of the most 

 simple, but one of the most lovely of sea-weeds, the 

 Bryopsis plumosa. 



