AND THE FISH THEREOF. 21 



The vegetation decreases markedly below this point, and is only repre- 

 sented by some species of Dictyomenias, which reach down to 50 fathoms, 

 and are characteristic of these depths. The characteristic fauna comprises 

 three Crustaceans, two Annellides, fourteen Mollusks, three Echinoderms, 

 three Polyps, and four Sponges. 



At the bottom of the shore-incline, formed by stone debris, and more 

 seawards, on loam or sand-beds, amongst the mostly distorted forms of 

 Cystoseira, which still grow here and there, and heaps of broken fragments 

 of shells, which have accumulated in course of time— the most characteristic 

 forms are the Annellide Onuphis hibicola, the bivalves Venus ovata, V. 

 fasciata, Cardium oblongum, C. punctatum, and the Polyp Eschara cervi- 

 comis. Besides these, some few characteristic species of the former region 

 still appear, but are on the decrease. 



On gravel and scattered fragments of shells, stone, or Nullipores, in 

 20-30 fathoms, forming the bed in a wide circle around the island of Lussin, 

 and partly also that of Veglia, and also less prominently so in other parts, are 

 quite characteristic : the Annellides Serpula venusta, Vermilia clavigera, 

 Eunice gallica, E. norvegica, Nereis Dumerilii, and Cerebratulus marginahis, 

 mostly Celtic forms ; the Mollusks Fusils lavatus, Turritella triplicate/,, 

 Pleurotoma Philberti, and Tttrbo rtigosus in swarms ; Chiton lesvis, Capulus 

 hungariais, both Boreal forms, small elegant specimens of Pecten (P. pusio, 

 P. testes, P. pellucidus, P. opercularis) ; swarms of Comatula {Alecto) 

 viediterranea, also well-developed and many-coloured varieties of the Boreal 

 species Ophiotrix fragilis, Astropecten pentacanthus, and Retipora 

 reticulata. 



Forms characteristic of the whole region are found here, such as 

 Lysianassa humilis in hollow sponges ; the Annellide Terebella pustulosa 

 on plants and sponges ; the Mollusks Turritella quadricarinata, Denta- 

 lium dentalis, and two Boreal bivalves, Venus fasciata and Cardium 

 Icevigahim. 



On uniform and extended loam-beds appear, in dispersed groups, the 

 Crustaceans Alpheus ruber, Galathea rugosa, Corystes dentatus, and swarms 

 of Portuuus plicatus ; also Maldane glebifex, an Annellide described by 



