86 REPORT—1846. 
On the Marine Zoology of Cornwall. By C. W. Peacu. 
The Author had added several new zoophytes to our Fauna—one Actinia new 
to the British Islands, and named by Dr. Johnston Actinia chrysanthellum. It buries 
itself in sand under stones in Fowey Harbour; and has twelve tentacula, Several 
calcareous Corallines have been also observed, differing from all that are at present 
figured. He exhibited, also, a beautiful series of the rare Echinus Flemingii; and a 
magnificent specimen of Echinus sphera; also another large and fine specimen, 
which, if not a new species, differs much from all others, and requires a careful 
examination; he had noticed it in various stages of growth. After noticing the 
Eolides and Annelides, he mentioned the circumstance of having got the Gymnolepas 
Cuvieri from the bottom of a vessel which came into Fowey Harbour in January of 
the present year; and after minutely describing it, showed that although exposed to 
the full influence, for one month, of the freshwater which passed down the harbour 
on the receding tide, it continued to thrive long after the whole of the common Bar- 
nacle, which accompanied it, had ceased to exist. 
A paper was read from Dr. Bell Salter, giving directions for the guidance of 
botanists in their excursion to the Isle of Wight, and giving a list of flowering plants 
of interest found in various parts of the island. 
On the Embryogeny of Pulmogrades and Ciliogrades. 
By Joun Price, M.A. 
About the end of June 1845, a great number of the ova of Cyanea aurita and 
Medusa capillata? (Stinger) were collected from domesticated specimens, and kept 
in sea-water. After moving about for a few days, as ciliated pear-shaped germs, 
they became more sedate ; assumed first a square, and then an octagon form ; gave 
out tentacles from each angle; “produced” the convex surface into an adhesive 
peduncle; and, being attached thereby to the glass, appeared ever after as whitish 
Hydras. I was not then aware of the metamorphoses recorded by Sir I, Dalzel, 
Sars, or others; but was soon informed of them by friends who saw these larve. 
During eighteen weeks I looked earnestly (but sceptically) for the fissiparous or gem- 
miparous reproduction alleged by others, but in vain. Subtraction was the only rule 
worked in this “Infant School” of mine: of Addition, Multiplication or Division 
they seemed to know nothing. By October 4 the countless host were reduced to 
three ; which, though trebled in size, had not undergone the slightest change in form 
from the zoanthoid type first assumed. I need not send figures of them, as several 
scientific friends have pronounced my drawings evactly like those of previous ob- 
servers, including now Steenstrup. However, about the same time, a single (much 
larger) individual was discovered adhering to one of the other jars. Under a lens, 
this had every appearance of being a compound zoophyte ; in time, five or six sepa- 
rate individuals were found to have clustered round the original centre; and subse- 
quently, some of these having apparently enlarged and separated, the number by 
June 1846 amounted to more than thirty, all very near to the same spot. I say 
“apparently”’ separated, as there was not sufficiently exact attention bestowed upon 
the phenomena to remove, from a sceptic, all doubts whether the clusters were 
more than parasitic adhesions (as in Actinia, or Tubularia indivisa), or whether the 
new individuals might not have emerged from the sand and other rubbish in the jar, 
during unobserved intervals. But I must confess I am all but satisfied that veritable 
reproduction has repeatedly occurred. At this moment (about eleven months from 
the discovery of the single larger Hydra) I am able, amidst much rubbish which I 
am afraid to remove, to count thirty-five, after several losses. One is at least three 
times the average size, and shows, if I mistake not, a six-sided mouth (an anomaly, 
perhaps, portending an approaching change) with about thirty-two tentacles sur- 
rounding, in single row, a considerable circum-oral area. Every one of them remains 
as true a zoanth as ever. Some minute turbinates in the same jar are constantly 
falling a prey to these “monsters of the deep,” and may be seen hanging in chains, 
or engulfed in the stomach, whilst the floor is strewed with empty shells. I have 
