CORYNE VERMICULARIS. 267 



us to adopt, and I agree to it all the more willingly, as by doing so we retain in tliu nomenclature 

 of Zoology a name which has no slight historical claims on our acceptance. 



Coryne pitsilla is a litoral species occurring between tide marks, where it may be found 

 attached to \'arious sea-weeds, more especially Fiicus nodosiis and Fucus scrralus. When well 

 developed it forms dense tufts, about three quarters of an inch or even an inch in height, and 

 with the stems attaining a thickness of about one quarter of a line, the whole conspicuous by 

 the fine deep flesh colour of the hydranths. Shorter and more slender varieties however, which 

 scarcely attain more than half these dimensions, are not uncommon. It is not unfrequently 

 associated with Clava squamata, though its zone of greatest perfection is a little below that of 

 the Clava. It may often be seen after the retreat of the tide, exposed for a considerable time 

 to the air and sun while waiting for the return of the sea, and protected from desiccation only by 

 the moisture of the surrounding sea-weeds and the water it still contains entangled among its 

 crowded branches. 



It is a fine typical Cortjne, and while living foriiis imder a low power of the microscope 

 a most beautiful object for the zoophyte trough. 



2. CORTNE A^ERMICULARIS, HillcJcS. 



Coryne vekmicdlaris, — Hincks, in Ann. Nat. Hist, for Oct., 1806. Brit. Hydr. 

 Zoopb., p. 1, 2, pi. viii, fig. 2. 



TROPHOSOME.' — HTnEOCAULUs branclied dicliotomously, and forming dense 

 slu'ubby tufts, whicli attain a height of about three quarters of an inch ; perisauc 

 annulated, especially towards the base; often smooth or slightly wrinkled on the 

 branches and upper portions of the stem. Hydranths " of great length (about one 

 sixth of an inch when mature), stout, almost cylindrical for half their length wlien 

 extended, and then tapering off very gradually towards the oral extremity ; tentacles 

 in irregular and very distant whorls, rather stout, with large capitula, about twenty- 

 five in number." 



GONOSOME. — Sporosacs " borne at the base of the tentacles over the lower part 

 of the l3ody ; spherical ; shortly stalked." 



Hatlnjmetrical dislriiiition.—Deei^-sea. zone. 

 Locality. — Shetland Isles; Rev. T. Hincks. 



I have never met with any species which exactly agrees with that just described. Mr. 

 Hincks, from whose account of it I have given the above diagnosis, informs us that it is " dis- 

 tinguished by the great size and worm-like appearance of the polypites, and the sparing distribu- 

 tion of the tentacles over the body." It is, however, by no means easy to distinguish it from 

 Coryne pusilla. 



35 



