150 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



(Molgula, sp.) of spherical shape, and about one inch in diameter, 

 which appeared as a ball of mud, but when this was brushed off 

 the animal was of glassy transparency, so that the internal 

 anatomy was to be seen quite clearly. The coat of mud took 

 quite a lot of brushing to rub off, and must effectually serve to 

 hide them from their prey. 



Continuing onward we passed into the West Channel, marked 

 by a pile beacon, and followed its course for a while. At 

 first the depth of water is about 7 fathoms, but soon 

 becomes only 4 fathoms, the bottom being sandy, with 

 areas of weed, and is proHfic of life. The forms most plen- 

 tiful were the common globular sea-urchin. Strong ylocentrotus 

 erythrogrammus, with long-pointed spines generally of a purple, 

 but often greenish, colour ; also a very large Asteroid Star-fish, 

 fully 15 inches in diameter, with 11 long arms, the name of 

 which 1 do not know. Amongst the crabs taken we may 

 mention AHcippa parvirostris and I'rigonoplax unguiformis, and 

 of the smaller crustaceans the most important was a single male 

 specimen of the interesting group Cumacea. Of this group Sars 

 describes a Cyclaspis in the report of the Challenger, dredged 

 from near Port Phillip Heads, but the present form belongs to quite 

 a different family, and is congeneric with Diastylis. I know of 

 no record of this genus occurring in Australian waters, but Mr. 

 G. M. Thomson has described one from New Zealand, with 

 which, however, the present form does not specifically agree. 

 I have not yet had an opportunity to see if it can be identified 

 with any known species. 



The water being unfavourable for further work, we ran to the 

 leeward of Swan Island, and made fast at the military torpedo 

 station jetty. Later in the afternoon we made a fresh start, and 

 dredged between Point Lonsdale and Queensclifif, in Wilson's 

 stations, 2 and 3. The depth is shallow, varying from 2 to 4 

 fathoms, with a hard rocky bottom, difficult to dredge, also the 

 tides run very strongly. We made a good many hauls, but were 

 disappointed with the results, as we had expected a greater supply 

 ot life than we met with, it is, however, rich in many kinds of 

 Algse. The groups Hydrozoa and Polyzoa were only sparsely 

 represented, but we got some interesting errant Chaetopods, some 

 new sessile-eyed crustaceans, and among other forms the not un- 

 common pedunculated tunicates, Boltenia (2 sp.), Colella (sp.), and 

 an encrusting gelatinous form like Botrillis, but of the allied genus 

 Leptoclinum. 



After leaving this ground we went further out from shore, in 

 the fareway of the ocean steamers, to about 10 taihoms of water. 

 We only had time for two hauls, and these showed very good 

 material, but the turn of the tide setting in, and night coming on, 

 we made for Queenscliff, and anchored in the harbour for the 



