88 Rev. A. M. Norman on undescribed 



Lepralia cruenta, n. sp. 



Lepralia violacea, var. cruenta. Busk, Cat. Marine Polyzoa, p. 69, pi. 110. 

 fig. 1. 



L. cellulis vix definitis, subovalibus, salebrosis, granulatis, paucis at 

 magnis puncturis perforatis ; orificio subcirculari, simplici, margi- 

 nibus rotundate inflatis, a cellularum apice remoto ; colore cruento 

 vel nigrescente. 



This is certainly not an overgrown state of L. violacea. The 

 many specimens which I have seen, some of which were dredged 

 by myself and some by Mr. Barlee in deep water at Shetland, all 

 agree in those characters which are well represented in plate 110. 

 fig. 1 of ' The Catalogue of British Marine Polyzoa.' If Mr. 

 Busk had been better acquainted with the form at the time he 

 published his work, I feel satisfied that he would not have re- 

 ferred it to L. violacea. The cells of L. cruenta are larger and 

 broader than those of L. violacea ; there is usually a slight depres- 

 sion in the median line of the former, but it seems to me to bear 

 no resemblance to the central pore of the latter. The species is 

 remarkable on account of the massive thickness of the cell-walls, 

 their very rugged surface, and the position of the mouth, which 

 is at some distance from the anterior extremity of the cell. The 

 cells are ill-defined, but nearly ovate; their surface is not only 

 undulated and (to employ a word which best expresses the ap- 

 pearance) puffy, but also roughly granular, and perforated here 

 and there with large cellules. The thick cell-walls close in the 

 nearly circular mouth with a broad, rounded fillet. The ovicells 

 of the species are unknown to me. Deep red is the usual colour 

 of L. cruenta, but one of my examples is blackish ; this, however, 

 may be the colour of the polyzoary if dead before it is dredged. 



L. cruerda is generally in small roundish patches on large 

 stones brought up from 70-100 fathoms, and is more rarely 

 found on shell. 



Genus Membranipora (DeBlainville). 

 Membranipora sacculata, n. sp. PI. XL fig. 3. 



M. cellulis rhomboideis, membrana nitida, tenui, subtiliter granulosa 

 obductis ; orificio magno, cellularum dimidium fere occupante, ad 

 latera paulum contracto, itaque tres sinus inconspicuos for- 

 mante ; peristomate inermi, crenato et cum margine cellularum 

 elevate crenato continuo ; ovicellulis semiellipticis, tumidis, supra 

 Isevibus, infra spatio triangular! subtiliter granuloso ; aviculariis 

 rarissimis, inter cellulas sitis, mandibulis triangularibus acutis ■ 

 superne directis. 



The cells of this species are regularly rhomboidal or lozenge- 

 shaped, maYgined with a much-elevated crenated rim, and co- 

 vered in on their lower half with a thin, glistening, minutely 



