372 



POLYZOA INFUNDIBULATA. 



1. B. MIRABILIS. W. Bean. 



Beania mirabilis, Johnston in Ann. Nat. Hist., v. 272. 



Hob. Parasitical on bivalve shells and rocks at or within low 

 water-mark, or creeping among 

 the roots of Cellularia avicula- 

 ria. Scarborough, very rare, W. 

 Bean. On an old valve of Pec- 

 ten maximus dredged off Scilly, 

 Mr. Mac Andrew. Attached to 

 the surface of a cork (Crab- 

 float), Bream sands, four miles 

 west of Falmouth, W . P. Codes. 

 The only specimens which I 

 have seen of this very remark- 

 able coralline are parasitical on 

 bi-valved shells, that are like- 

 wise almost crusted over with 

 two or three species of Lepralia. 

 It is large enough to be easily seen with the naked eye, but of such 

 minuteness that it may be readily passed over unnoticed, excepting by 

 a naturalist of the practice and acuteness of its discoverer. The stalk 

 creeps over the surface of the shell, to which it adheres loosely, and 

 is divided at intervals without order or regularity, the shoots form- 



Fig. 70. 



ing sometimes a long simple thread, while at other places they ana- 

 stomose freely. The shoots are very slender, filiform, smooth, colour- 



