On Phymosoma varians. 



By 



Artbiir E. Sbipley, Ifl.A., 



Fellow and Lecturer of Christ's College, Cambridge, and Demonstrator of 

 Comparative Anatomy in the University. 



With Plates I, II, III, IV. 



The material which forms the basis of the following paper 

 was collected and preserved by Mr. W. F. E,. Weldon, of 

 St. John^s College, Cambridge, during a visit to the Bahamas. 

 On his return to England Mr. Weldon commenced to work at 

 Phymosoma^ and made many microscopic sections and 

 drawings. When, however, he received the appointment which 

 he now holds at Plymouth he handed the whole material, 

 together with his drawings, to me, with a request that I would 

 complete the work thus interrupted. This statement will serve 

 to show how much I am indebted to Mr. Weldon, both for 

 material and for many of the drawings ; but I have further to 

 express my indebtedness to him for many suggestions and 

 much help in completing the work he was unfortunately obliged 

 to lay aside. 



The observations here recorded were made on a species of 

 Phymosoma (Ph. varians, Selenka) collected in the Bahama 

 Islands. 



This species was sufficiently common in the island of New 

 Providence; but it occurred still more abundantly in the 

 lagoon of the Bemini atoll. The specimens were obtained by 

 breaking up soft masses of coral rock with a hammer. Pieces 



VOL. XXXI, PART I. NEW SER. A 



