on the West Coast of Scotland. 329 



swimming they extend liorizontally from tlie body, and show, at 

 the base of the neck, bctwbct the upper part of the fins, a whitish 

 protuberance bearing some resemblance to the shiekl on the back 

 of Aph/sia depilans. 



At the base of eacli fin, and ])rctty close to the back, there 

 could be seen, when the light was favourable, all along the in- 

 side, a line like the midrib of a leaf; and from this double mid- 

 rib there proceeded at intervals, veins in u slanting direction to 

 the upper margin of each fin ; so that when the two fins were ex- 

 panded, it was like a green-veined leaf. To this appearance it 

 may at times owe its safety by deceiving the eye of prowlers. 



The description of the mouths given by ^lontagu suited my 

 specimens, except that in them the margin only of the ujrpei- lip 

 was black. The hjwer lip and ])art of the throat were quite white, 

 and were the only parts that had none of the azui*e or golden 

 dots. I may mention in conclusion, that when the animal was 

 held betwixt the eye and the hght, the ))ody and the fins seemed 

 full of darkisli granules. 



On mentioning to ^Irs. Griffiths (a name dear to naturalists) 

 that I had fallen in with this green beauty, she informed me that 

 it was frequently foimd in Devonshire on the Codium tomentosum, 

 which seems to be its favourite pasture-ground ; and on which, 

 from similarity of colour, it may often escape detection. 



St/riruv papillosus, Thomp. 



In the month of ]March last, when my daughter ]\Iargarct was 

 picking up some Alg?e on the strand near to Stevenstoii Burn- 

 foot, she observed on the shore a number of gelatinous creatiu'cs, 

 blown up like little bags. Fortunately she brought one of them 

 home with her ; and unfortunately she brought but one ; for it 

 turned out to be the rare Syrinx papillosus. I kept it alive for 

 some time and made some observations on it, which I sent, 

 along with its poor remains^ to ^Ir. Thompson. He is a person 

 whom it is a pleasure and a privilege to consult in doubts and 

 difficulties. 



I shall add the substance of what 1 wrote to Mr. Thompson 

 respecting Si/rbhv papillosus. 



AVhen found it was in the form of a soda-water bottle, about 

 an inch and a half in length, and about ^ths of an inch in dia- 

 meter. On being |)ut into sea-water, it assumed very much the 

 appearance of the figure given by Forbes, being nearly 3 inches 

 in length. The concentric striae were rather faint; but the lon- 

 gitudinal ones looked like ribs, about fifteen in number, and were 

 fully twice as distant from each other as the concentric ones 

 which they crossed. It soon became flaccid, and contracted to 

 less than half an inch in diameter ; but it firmly adhered to the 



Ann. if Mag. N. Hist. Vulw. ' 2 A 



