16 BOTRYLLIDiE. 



S. A. Argus, MIIne-EcUvards. 



Mem. Asc. Comp. p. 291, pi. 1, fig. 4». 

 Plate A, fig. 4. 



General colour olive-yellow towards the base of the mass, pass- 

 ing into orange near its free extremity, which is nearly white, 

 speckled with little red points. The individuals are grouped 

 nearly circularly round a common cloaca, usually a single system 

 of them to a mass. Each individual is prominent on the common 

 surface, and the border of the buccal opening is deeply divided 

 into six nearly triangular lobes ; around these are ranged the red 

 eye-like spots, four to each animal. 



At Falmouth, Mr. Alder. This species appears to have a wide 

 range : it occurs in the J^gean, E. E. 



LEPTOCLINUM, Milne-Edwards. 



Mass thin, sessile, encrusting, polymorphous, coriaceous or ge- 

 latinous, composed of many systems. Anal orifices of the indi- 

 viduals opening into a common cloaca, more or less ramified. 

 Branchial orifices 6-lobed. [PI, B, fig. 5.] 



This genus belongs to the tribe of "Didemniens" in the ar- 

 rangement of Milne-Edwards, composed of those compound Asci- 

 dians which have the body distinctly divided into two portions, a 

 thorax and an abdomen : " They approach very nearly the Cla- 

 vellinjp, and are distinguished from the Polycliniens by the ab- 

 sence of a post-abdomen, and by the position of the generative 

 apparatus and heart, which are placed beside the intestine." — 

 M.-E. 



1. L. MAcuLosuM, Milne-Ecl wards. 



Mem. Asc. Comp. p. 297, pi. 8, fig. 2. 



A thin, hard, leathery crust, investing the roots of Lamlnaria', 

 variegated with white and blue. The substance of the crust is 

 strengthened with calcareous raphides. 



Common on most parts of our coast, but first recorded as British 

 by Mr. W. Thompson, who noted it as occurring plentifully on 

 the roots of Laminaria? in Belfast Bay and the north of Ireland 

 generally, in the 13th volume of the " Annals of Natural History," 

 (1844.) 



