11) 1 ALCYONIDIID^E. 



Polypide with 17-18 long and slender tentacles, which are 



often spirally coiled and much twisted. 

 Height 5 or 6 inches. 



HABITAT. On Algae between tide-marks and in shallow 

 water. 



LOCALITIES. South Devon ; Ilfracombe, on Corallina ; 

 Watchet, Bristol Channel ; Isle of Man ; Filey ; 

 Landudno; Menai Straits; Oban (T. H.) : Cullercoats, of 

 humble size ; North Northumberland, 5 or 6 inches high 

 and about as much broad, largest beyond, low water 

 (Alder) : St. Andrews (Dr. M'lutosh) : Shetland, Balta 

 Sound, and Out-Skerries, tide-marks (A. M. N.) : entrance 

 to the Firth of Forth, 30 fathoms (Kirchenpauer) : Has- 

 tings (Miss Jelly) ; Northern shores of Ireland, not 

 uncommon, especially on Delesseria alata ; Connemara 

 (W. T.) : Dublin Bay; Youghal (Miss Ball) : Gleudore 

 (Allman). 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Roscoff (Joliet) : Kat- 

 tegat (Kirchenpauer) : Bahusia, chiefly on Fucus serratus ; 

 Spitzbergen, 12 fathoms, on Fucus (Smitt) : Finmark 

 (Goes and Malmgren) : Greenland (Liitken) . 



This species occurs in two very distinct forms as a 

 rather thick gelatinous crust, overspreading various kinds 

 of Algae, in which state it is in all probability the Cycloum 

 papillosum of Hassall ; and as an erect, palmate growth, 

 which often attains a very considerable size. On the 

 South-Devon coast it grows luxuriantly, forming large 

 palmate expansions, several inches in width, variously 

 lobed, and of remarkable beauty. These are given off 

 from a spreading base. 



Dr. Johnston mistook the papillae for the zorccia ; but 

 the orifices of the latter form low, irregularly-shaped 

 risings, slightly depressed in the centre, and are distri- 



