102 SAGARTIADiE. 



to select and abridge. This lady finds troglodytes abund- 

 ant on the Fife coast, in several varieties. Of these she 

 specially enumerates lilacina, of which eight specimens 

 have from time to time occurred ; Hesperus, two specimens, 

 and a third well-marked variety. One of the var. Hesperus 

 has been in Miss Gloag's possession fifteen months : " the 

 disk and tentacles are, if possible, whiter than snow ; only 

 at the extreme tip of each tentacle is it quite black. It is 

 a little gem of beauty." This variety frequently elongates 

 two of its tentacles to the length of an inch ; when they 

 lose their opaque white colour, and become transparent, the 

 tip, however, retaining its black hue. 



The new variety is very showy : it has a bright orange 

 disk, and perfectly black tentacles : thus reversing the 

 colours of Eclipsis. It may be added to the catalogue, as 

 var. <j>. JPyromela. 



Some of my lady-readers may be glad to avail themselves 

 of Miss Gloag's experience in collecting. " I find no diffi- 

 culty in digging the troglodytes out of the rocks or mud. 

 The instruments I use are long, thick hair-pins [of iron- 

 wire, ^th of an inch thick]. I am obliged to have them 

 made for the purpose ; but they are splendid, and seldom 

 fail to bring out the treasure unhurt. After getting my 

 fingers nearly skinned, I bethought me of hair-pins. When 

 I see a troglodytes that I wish to possess, I take one of these 

 strong pins in each hand, and as quickly as I can I put 

 the bent ends down the fissure as close as I dare to the 

 creature : when I think I have reached its base, I work 

 them gently but firmly towards each other, till I feel I have 

 detached the Anemone, when it is easily lifted out either 

 with the fingers or with the pins." 



More recently still, Mr. D. Robertson has sent me from 

 Cumbrae an exquisite variety, of which I was at first 

 inclined to make a distinct species. It has the charac- 



