THE FEATHER PLUMULARIA. 287 



changed to a fine chestnut-red, while the lighter parts 

 had become pure ivory-white. 



THE FEATHER PLUMULARIA. 



A tuft of weed that I had pulled off from the side 

 of one of the rock-pools, and brought home screw- 

 ed up in a bit of paper, was almost covered with the 

 elegant plumes of Vlumularia pinnata, I put it into 

 sea-water as soon as I arrived at home, after it had 

 been out of water about eight hours, carried within 

 my hat. When I came to examine it, many of the 

 Polypes appeared alive, though contracted. Many of 

 the lower stalks were nearly denuded of branches, 

 except at their tips, but were densely crowded for the 

 most of their length, with the ovigerous vesicles. 

 (Plate XVII, fig. 4.) These are placed in a single 

 series, on the upper side of the arching stems, as 

 thickly as they can stand, about twenty-five on each. 

 By single series I mean only that they are all seated 

 on one side of the stem, and all point the same way, 

 (with an occasional exception) ; for they are two, 

 three, or even four abreast. Their substance is hya- 

 line, but the contents are opaque and flesh-coloured. 

 Their shape is sub -oval, larger at the tip, but the 

 sides are fluted so as to form about six rounded 

 angles and as many furrows. Near the tip several 

 divergent tubercles or blunt spines are given off". 

 Fig. 5 represents a lateral view of one; Fig. 6 a 

 vertical, from a very good view : the opaque ova in 

 the middle. 



The tuft alluded to I put into a glass vessel made 



