1909.] Miscellanea. 295 



in Bengal show that whereas L. moluccanus is essentially a marine 

 species, occurring on sandy and muddy bottoms from the tide-line 

 to a depth of 20 fathoms, L. rotundicauda is mainly if not entirely 

 estuarine. It ascends the river Hughli at least as far as Calcutta, 

 that is to say. for a distance of about 90 miles from the open sea, 

 and can live in water that is practically fresh. On the coast of 

 Bengal L. moluccanus breeds at the end of the cold weather, i.e., in 

 March. The eggs, which are not ver}^ numerous, have a green 

 colour and measure about 3 mm. in diameter, are carried on the 

 ventral surface of the abdominal appendages, to which they adhere 

 lightly. Further information as regards the habits of the Indian 

 Limuli would be of interest. 



N. Annandale. 



CRUSTACEA. 



The rate of growth in Conchoderma and Lepas. — Dr. J. T. 

 Jenkins has given me the information on which the following note 

 is based ; it is of interest as illustrating the relative rate of growth 

 in two species of barnacles. A clean buoy was placed in the sea off 

 the coast of Ganjam, on February 23rd, IQOQ, by the Fisheries 

 Steamer " Golden Crown," and was lifted on March 3rd. Numerous 

 specimens of Lepas anserifera and Conchoderma virgaluni var. 

 hunteri were found adhering to it. Those of the former species 

 were all small, the largest having a capitulum 8 mm. "ong, whereas 

 it is usually about 20 mm. long in fully grown examples of the 

 species from the Bay of Bengal. The specimens of C. virgatmn var. 

 hunteri were, however, much larger, and appeared to be already 

 adult. The capitulum of the largest measured 15 mm. in length. 

 This individual is actually the largest specimen of the variety I 

 have seen, although it had reached this size in eight days from that 

 on which the larva probably settled. It is of interest to note, 

 therefore, that the rate of growth in C. virgafum var. hunteri is con- 

 siderably greater even than it is in the common L. anserifera. It 

 may be noted that whereas the latter species is usually found 

 attached to inanimate objects, C. virgafum var. hunteri is frequently 

 taken on the skin of turtles and sea-snakes. 



N. Annandale. 



POLYZOA. 



Large Colonies of HisLopia lacustris. — In volume i (page 

 177) of the Records of the Indian Museum, I described the two 

 forms of colonies of Hislopia that I had found in the United Prov- 

 inces (Bulandshahr). Of these, one was a more or less linear 

 arrangement of the zocecia on leaves and twigs, and the other, and 

 more common, form was an encrusting sheath on the outer surface 

 of the shells of Paludina. During the present ' ' rains ' ' (July 

 1908) I have found many examples of what ma}- be considered a 

 much exaggerated extension of the latter form. These colonies 



