FAUNA NOTES FOK 1897. 535 



species.. ., ''and, later on in the season, gives place to the 

 production of ova as in the common Hydra." It so happened 

 that several of the gonozooids were actually budding when I 

 discovered them, and in one mounted specimen the bud has just 

 become separated from its parent, owing to the slight pressure 

 caused by the cover-glass. 



The polypides have so far escaped my notice ; but this is 

 hardly to be wondered at, they are so very minute. 



The hitherto known habitats of Clavatella are Whitby, 

 Filey-Brigg, Ilfracombe, and Torquay. 



There was an appreciable scarcity of all kinds of medusee 

 from this district during the whole autumn. 



AcTiNARiA. Early in July several living specimens of 

 Gonactinia prolifera were noticed attached to some clean dead 

 oyster valves, which had been obtained from the main channel 

 of the harbour. While removing some of these from the shells 

 with the aid of a fine needle, I was astonished to observe that 

 almost directly the point of the needle came in contact with any 

 part of the adhesive disk of a specimen, it would directly 

 sever its connection with the shell, and swim about in the water 

 quite vigorously for a few moments, by simultaneously opening 

 and closing its tentacles. When this singular method of pro- 

 pulsion was ended, the individual would passively sink in the 

 pan of sea- water, and remain motionless on the bottom till a 

 further stimulus was administered. 



This experiment was repeated, on five similar specimens, 

 always with the same result. 



EcHiNODEEMATA. The plutci captured in the tow-net during 

 September were in a very advanced stage of development, the 

 majority of the specimens being furnished with ciliated 

 epaulettes. 



A few spherical ova measuring about one and a half 

 millimetres in diameter, were found in the tow-net on the 1 8th 

 of November, and from thence to the end of the year one or 

 more specimens could be found in every gathering. As soon as 

 an ovum had finished segmenting,' it at once left the surface of 

 the pan of sea-water, in which it was placed, and sank a little, 

 and in a few days, when further developmental changes had set 

 in, it remained always on the bottom. 



