2 HERAPATH, ON THE GENUS SYNAPTA. 
scopical Quarterly Journal,’ 1862, an elaborate paper on the 
structure and reproduction of S. inherens, which he was for- 
tunate in obtaining in considerable quantity buried in mud 
banks, near low water-mark in Belfast Bay and Strangford 
Loughs. 
When the author was in Guernsey, in the autumn of 1863, 
M. J. P. Gallienne kindly showed him the locality and mode 
of finding a Synapta, which he thought to be inherens, and 
had discovered in Bellegrave Bay, on the coast of Guernsey. 
Here he had often found it, and naturally felt anxious lest 
its haunts should be generally known, and thus its habitat be 
lost. He also informed him that the late Dr. Lukes had 
found a Synapta in Bordeaux Harbour, on the same island— 
whether identical with the one about to be described it is im- 
possible to state, as no specimens now exist. 
Having visited the spot where M. Gallienne had obtained 
his specimens, they found several at, and a little above, low 
water-level at spring tides, in a bed of sand about ten or 
twelve inches deep, and congregated in a space about twenty 
yards square, whence they were easily obtained by digging 
cautiously with a spade, the operator being guided in the 
task by the appearance of the funnel-shaped opening in the 
sand, marking the position of their burrows. On inserting 
the spade and elevating it quickly, the sand generally cracked 
through the centre of their perpendicular burrows, disclosing 
the animal in the canal, which appeared destitute of all lining 
material. The identity of the animal was readily found from 
its quickly adhering to the fingers by its anchor-shaped hook- 
lets, whilst its appearance, when placed in sea water, was at 
once indicative; it was of a delicate rosy-pink colour, vermi- 
form in shape, and having five white bands, arranged length- 
wise throughout the body, from the oral to the anal aper- 
tures. The mouth was surrounded by a ring of twelve ten- 
tacles, which were pinnated, and appeared to have six pinnee 
on each side, with one terminal digit ; thirteen pinne in all. 
Some of these animals were distended with sand, and ap- 
peared darker in colour; but the anal extremity was gene- 
rally enlarged, more transparent, and of the‘usual pink colour, 
from being inflated with sea water; this distension was the 
means of retaining the animal in its burrow, by giving it a 
fixed fulerum for the contraction of the longitudinal muscles. 
The sand-bank was dark in colour, and feetid, from the 
large quantity of decaying animal matter therein. The 
Synapta, doubtless, fed upon this refuse material by gorging 
itself with sand from time to time. In this locality two 
species of Synapta existed; S. inherens and the new species. 
