119 



On some Ascidians from the Isle of Wight 



A Study in Vaeiation and Nomenclatuee. 



By 



Walter Garstang, M.A., 



Berkeley Fellow of the Owens College, Manchester. 



With Plates VI and VII. 



Although tbe Isle of Wight has' been a favourite haunt of the 

 geologist and the palaeontologist, references to its present marine 

 fauna are exceedingly rare in zoological literature. Early in May 

 of the present year, however, I had an opportunity, at the sugges- 

 tion and through the kind hospitality of my friend Mr. Poulton, of 

 examining the littoral fauna of the eastern shores of the island, 

 and of making a considerable collection of zoological specimens. 

 A list of the species which I obtained will be published as soon as 

 I have had time to complete the examination of them ; but several 

 of the Ascidians throw so much light upon the brief and obscure de- 

 scriptions of certain species, that I believe it will be serviceable to 

 give a full account of them without further delay, especially since 

 the pressure of other work may prevent an early appearance of the 

 complete list. 



I. 

 Ascidia mollis, Alder and Hancock. 



AsciDiA MOLLIS, SaticocJc. Ann. Mag. Nat, Hist, (iv), vol. vi, 1870, pp. 358, 359. 



I found eleven individuals of this species attached to rocks in the 

 Zostera bed off Nodes Point, St. Helen's, at extreme low water, 

 May 7th. 



The short account of A. mollis given by Hancock is admirable 

 as regards the description of the external features, but is insufficient 

 in some points of internal structure. I am glad, therefore, to have 

 an opportunity of re-describing this Ascidian. It appears to be a 

 comparatively rare species, and I am not aware that it has been 



