of the Virgularia or Petinatula inirabiUs. 381 



upright, it is rooted to the same spot, has not been yet ascer- 

 tained. If lying flat at the bottom of the sea, its progression 

 must be oxti'emely slow. Kept in a tall jar, the body forms 

 itself into several volutes. For example, a specimen, eight 

 inches long, \.ill exhibit a single spiral throughout the whole 

 length at one time, and at another, there may be three or four 

 spirals — or, as we should say, threads of a screw — occupying its 

 extent. ' 



On the whole its nature bears an intimate resemblance to 

 the Pennatula phosphorea, and to that of the Lobularia, more 

 conveniently recognised as the Alcyonium digitatum, but, un- 

 like the latter, it exhales an agreeable and somewhat musky 

 odour. The hydrae of all three appear to cori-espond in con- 

 formation. 



The Virgularia mirabilis inhabits a small circumscribed 

 spot said to have a muddy bottom, immediately west of Inch- 

 keith in the Frith of Forth.* Having employed two fisher- 

 men to dredge there early in June, I procured a number of 

 specimens, but none exceeding eight inches in length. The 

 more vigorous being selected, they were deposited in suitable 

 glass vessels, and kept in a temperate atmosphere. Frequent 

 inspection under such circumstances is essentiid, in order to 

 ascertain the uninterrupted purity of the liquid element, for the 

 slightest oversight here will render all experiments abortive. 



In three days, yellow corpuscules, somewhat ovoidal, were ob- 

 served both ascending the side of one vessel as well as free in 

 the water, and also descending. Some rose ten inches high 

 amidst it, with a swift and active motion. Removing several 

 by means of a watch-glass, I subjected them to the micro- 

 scope, where they proved of a smooth, consistent, fleshy, uni- 

 form aspect, of an elongated ovoidal form, without any visi- 

 ble external organs, and rapidly traversing the element. In 

 all respects they narrowly resemble the planulse of the Sertula- 

 riw, nor did they leave me any doubt of their animal nature. 



On the 25th of June, that is twelve days after the pre- 

 ceding animals had appeared in the water, three nascent 



* Many years ago, we diodgcd up in Prcstonpans Bay, Firtli of Forth, 

 fine speciinons of Virgularia mirabilis. — EniT. 



vol, XXVII. NO. LIV. OCTOBER 1830. C C 



