British Hi/drozoa, Actinozoa, and Polyzoa. 87 



in the narrow slit of L. divisa. There are other diflFerences, but 

 of minor importance, between the two species. 



Lepralia polita. PI. XI. fig. 1. 

 L. cellulis ovatis, tumidis, suberectis, irregulariter dispositis, aliquan- 

 tum sejunctis ; superficie Isevi, nitida ; orificio semicirculari labio 

 inferiore recto, superiore quatuor vel quinque spinis evanescentibus 

 brevibus armato ; peristomate plerumque ad latus utrumque in 

 processum parvum elevato; ovicellula globosa, tumidissima, re- 

 cumbente, polita. 



The living polyzoary is pinkish. The cells are oval, very- 

 tumid, irregularly disposed, and a little elevated anteriorly. 

 Their surface is nearly smooth, and highly polished. The semi- 

 circular mouth has the lower lip straight, and the upper armed 

 with four or five short spines, which however are very rarely 

 present. On each side of the mouth the peristome is raised into 

 an elevated shoulder-like process, against the base of which the 

 ovicell, when present, rests. The ovicell is globose, tumid, and 

 glossy, and leans backward off the mouth. 



In small patches on shells and stones, dredged in 70-100 

 fathoms off Shetland. 



Lepralia microstoma, n. sp. PI. XI. fig. 3. 

 L. cellulis lageniformibus, superne liberis, elevatis, sejunctis, in stra- 

 to punctate dispositis; superficie subtiliter granulosa; orificio 

 contracto, peristomate producto, labio inferiore evexo, superiore 

 ad apicem centralem assurgente ; ovicellula globosa, tumidissima, 

 recumbente, subtiliter granulosa. 



The polyzoary in Lepralia microstoma frequently shows a ten- 

 dency to assume an irregular outline ; and processes, three or four 

 cells wide, branch out here and there. In shape the cells are 

 flask-like, very tumid, and gradually contracted above into a 

 narrow neck. They are arranged without any order, and rise 

 from a punctured crust, which fills up any interstices between 

 the cells ; their upper portion is much raised and quite free, so 

 that the cells have a semierect position. The surface of both 

 cells and ovicells is minutely granular. The mouth is very 

 small, situated as it were on the top of the produced cell, and 

 opening upwards. The peristome is much raised on the lower 

 margin, forming a pouting lip, and on the upper rising to a 

 central point. The ovicells are globose and very tumid, and 

 have a backward inclination. 



Encrusting small stones dredged in 80-100 fathoms in the 

 Shetland Sea, about 20 miles north of Unst. 



The general form of the cells and the manner of growth of 

 the polyzoary of this species remind us of L. simplex ; but the 

 two species differ widely in all their details. 



