DORIS. 91 



17. D. DEPRESSA, Alder and Hancock. 



D depressa, A. & H. in Ann. N. H. 1st ser. ix. p. 32 ; and Brit. Nud. 

 Moll. fam. 1, pi. 12. f. 1-8. 



BODY broadly oval, very much depressed : mantle pale sandy- 

 coloured, spotted with reddish-brown, and set with rather 

 long, linear, pointed papillae ; it is transparent, showing the 

 large imbedded spicula arranged transversely across the back 

 and diagonally at the sides: dorsal tentacles linear, rather 

 tapering, closely laminated : head-veil semicircular : gills 11, 

 very small, set in an open circle. L. 0'3. 



HABITAT : Under stones between tide-marks and in shallow 

 water; rare, but pretty generally diffused on the British 

 coast. Whitley and Cullercoats, Northumberland (A. Han- 

 cock) ; Scarborough and Torbay (Alder) ; mouth of the Dee 

 (Byerley). [Mersey (Collingwood).] Burghead (Murray). 

 [Falmouth (Cocks) ; Brittany (Tasle) ; Rochelle (Fischer).] 



From the transparency of the mantle, the eyes in D. de- 

 pressa are visible behind the dorsal tentacles. In most other 

 species of Doris they can only be seen in very young indivi- 

 duals, being afterwards obscured by the thickening of the 

 skin, so as to be scarcely available for the purpose of sight. 



The spawn in this and the following two species is deposited 

 in a thin spiral thread of many coils, like that of some of the 

 Eolides. 



[It is the Villersia scutiyera of D'Orbigny, according to 

 Fischer.] 



18. D. INCONSPI'CUA, Alder and Hancock. 



D. inconspicua, A. & H. Brit, Nud. Moll. fam. 1, pi. 12. f. 9-16. 



BODY elliptical, rather depressed : mantle white, with a 

 shade of purple, slightly sprinkled with minute brown spots, 

 and set with small, blunt tubercles : dorsal tentacles subcla- 

 vate, stout, closely laminated : head-veil rather broad : gills 

 10, dull white, stout, set in an open circle. L. 0-3. 



HABITAT : Two specimens of this little Doris were got by 



