310 Zoological Society. 



raorphee : s. in medio dorsi (ut in Doride) circa anum stellatim 

 ramosse, arbusculiformes, ramis pectinato-ciliatis ; et per latera 

 utrinque (ut in Tritonia Thethyexo) longitudinaliter biseriatse, 

 conico-papilliformes ; papillis apice subdivisis, ciliatis. 

 Obs. Corpus totum glabrum, Iseve, subpellucidum. Oculi nulli. 



Spec. Peplidia Madera, nob. 



Hab. in mari Maderensi-atlantico, inter rapes littorales in aquis 

 sestu relictis ; rariss. 



A single example of this beautiful and extremely interesting mol- 

 lusk was discovered on the 24th of April, 1841, by Dr. Lister, in a 

 pool left by the tide amongst a reef of rocks called the Gorgulho, 

 situate a little to the west of Funchal. It presents a combination of 

 generic characters, by which, if it approximates in each apart by turns 

 to Doris, Thethys, Tritonia, and Scyllcea, it differs notably from all. 

 The large dorsal star-like tuft of branchiae, and the tentacles, resem- 

 ble those of Doris ; but it differs totally in other characters : the veil 

 before the head, though smaller and differently fringed, together 

 with the rows of branchiferous papillae down the back or sides, bring- 

 ing it somewhat nearer Thethys, from which it is essentially distin- 

 guished, as it is also from Tritonia and Scyllcea, by its Doridian 

 character of the ano-dorsal five-branched rose or star of branchite. 

 And if agreeing with the last of these two genera in the carinatc or 

 crested tail, it is at once distinguished by the presence of the frontal 

 veil. 



The whole upper surface of the animal, which is from one inch 

 and a half to two inches and a half long, about one-third of an inch 

 broad and half an inch high, is of a pale dull red, mottled or freckled 

 with brighter orange-red and yellow, and thickly speckled all over 

 with dark chestnut-brown spots and dots, which are larger and sub- 

 confluent in two sublateral darker lines or rows, meeting behind the 

 branchial star upon the back, and smaller on the sides and veil. The 

 tentacles above, and the foot alone beneath are immaculate, the latter 

 being pale pellucid flesh-colour, with the extreme edges yellow. 



The edges of the veil, and the tips of the dorsal or sublateral 

 branchiferous papillfe are fimbriato-ciliate. Of the latter, there are 

 two rows on each side : the lower consisting each of six small and 

 inconspicuous or obsolete papillae ; the upper, each of three much 

 larger and more elongate or subcylindric bodies, i:)laced at equal di- 

 stances from one another, two in advance, and the third a httle behind 

 the ano-dorsal rose. The head or apex of each of this third or last 

 pair forks into two parts, one of which is subdivided or ciliferous, 

 like the other pairs ; the other branch of the fork is simple and cla- 

 vate, ending abruptly in a dark red sort of knob or button. The 

 orifice of generation is on the right side of the neck, beneath the 

 first of the ujiper row of branchiferous papillae. During the animal's 

 life it appeared simple, but on contraction after death it was found 

 to be composed of two a])ertures close together ; the male organ be- 

 ing exserted from the anterior. 



The ano-dorsal branchial tuft or star is very large, and placed at 



