BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 57 



FAMILY VII. CLAVATELLID^E. 



Polypites with a single verticil of capitate tentacula 

 surrounding the base of the proboscis. Gonozooids 

 ambulatory. 



Genus I. Clavatella. 



Stems simple and very short, rising from a creeping 

 filiform stolon, invested by a polypary. Polypites 

 borne on the summit of the stems. Gonozooids ambu- 

 latory, developed in clusters on the lower portion of 

 the body of the polypite, not enclosed in an investing 

 sac— T. H. 



1. C. PROLiPERA, T. H. ; Eleutheria, Krohn. 



Hab. : Devonshire and Yorkshire Coast {T. H.) ; 

 Cornwall, Cork, and West of Scotland (All). Height 

 I in. Polypites milk white, with distal extremity tinged 

 pink. Body of polypite very extensile, with 8 capitate 

 tentacles arranged in a verticil round the distal end. 

 Gonozooids ambulatory, developed during summer 

 and autumn, and forming " two clusters at opposite 

 points on the lower portion of the body." 



The peculiarity of this species is the ambulatory 

 gonozooid, which when developed very much resembles 

 other hydroid medusao in appeai^ance, but not in manner 

 of locomotion. It breaks off from the polypite, and 

 moves about with an ambulatory moti'on by means of 

 sucking discs at the extremity of the tentacles, each of 

 which is divided into two towards the extremity. Mr. 

 Hincks says that " it bears a considerable resemblance 

 to a Lilliputian star-Hsh." 



