234 MESSES. E. HEEON-ALLEN AND A. EAELAND ON THE 



under similar conditions on a muddy bottom round the British Islands, the student will 

 come to the conclusion that it would be just as easy to name and figure twice as many 

 so-called " species." There are no definite and fixed features which can be laid hold of 

 as marking definite lines of separation. 



Bulimina elegans is, however, a good starting-point around which to attempt some 

 classification of these protean forms. 



The typical B. elegans is represented by a long and regularly tapering shell with three 

 definite series of smooth inflated chambers. Such individuals occur but rarely, although 

 present in limited' numbers at most of the Stns. With a shortening of the spire and 

 increased inflation of the chambers we arrive at a somewhat broad and stumpy form 

 extremely common, and figured by Fornasini {loo. cit. pi. O. figs. 32, 34) under the name 

 B. gibba. If the aboral mai-gins of the inflated chambers become salient, w r e obtain a 

 passage-form between B. elegans and B. marginata, to which Fornasini has given the 

 name B. gibba, var. marginata (figs. 22, 26, 35, 42, loc. cit.). 



More than one Stn. of the 'lluna' gatherings, notably Stns. 19 and 21, consisted almost 

 of pure gatherings of Buiiniinae. We took the trouble to count a certain section of the 

 material from the latter Stu., and found, the Buiiniinae to represent 98 per cent, of the 

 Foratninifera. Probably not 5 per cent, of the sj>echnens could have been assigned 

 definitely to any specific type. 



120. Bulimina elegans, var. exilis, Brady. (Plate 41. figs. 4-9.) 



Bulimina elegans, var. exilis, Brady, 1884, FC. p. 399, pi. 1. tigs. 5, 0. 



Wright, 1889, SWJ. p. 448. 



6 Stations. 



The variety exilis is characterized by an extremely elongated test of the regular 

 triserial B. elegans type. Good and typical specimens occur at several Stns., the best at 

 Stns. 11 and 17. They are, however, all small, compared with the development attained 

 by the variety in deeper and colder waters. The best specimens we have seen were from 

 comparatively shallow water in the estuary of the St. Lawrence Puver. The species has 

 been recorded by Wright from S.W. Ireland, by Worth from Plymouth, and by Pearcey 

 from the Faroe Channel ; but, as it has not been figured as a British species, we take 

 this opportunity of doing so (Wright, AMNH. ser. (5. vol. iv. p. 448; Worth, J. Mar. 

 Biol. Ass. Plymouth, NS. vol. vii. 1904, p. 178; Pearcey, 1890, FC. p. 176). 



121. Bulimina elongata, d'Orbigny. 



Bulimina elongata, d'Orbigny, 1826, TMC. p. 209. No. 9. 



Brady, 1884, FC. p. 401, pi. li. figs. 1, 2 (?). 



5 Stations. 



Typical specimens of this elongate and parallel-sided form of B. pupoides occur at 

 Stns. 4 and 19. At other Stns. the individuals, while probably referable to B. elongata, 

 show r weak marginate spines at the aboral end, indicating their affinity to B. marginata. 



