OF MADEIRA AND NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS. 307 



The orifice is very slightly contracted below the middle and then widens 

 out before the sides join the straight line of the lower lip. The surface is 

 punctated in an early stage, and granulated at a later. On each side just 

 below the corners of the lower lip a boss of greater or less size is generally 

 developed. In examples where these bosses are of considerable size, the oojcium 

 is also elevated into a high mound. In other cases where the lateral bosses are 

 slightly developed or altogether absent, the ocBcium though still raised 

 centrally is sculptured down its sides with little ribs. 



I have found this species at Madeira, Naples, and Guernsey, and have 

 received it from the Adriatic (Heller as Lepralia Kirclienpaueri). 



The specimens dredged at Madeira were encrusting small univalve shells, 

 Bellardiella gracilis, Nassa limata, and Calliostoma Montagui. 



Lepralia Poissonii (Audouin). W. (PI. 41. figs. 7, 8.) 



1826. Flustra Poissoiiii, Audouin, Savigiiy's Egypte, pi. 10. fig. 6. 



1880. Lepralia Kirchenpaueri, var. teres, Hiucks, Aim. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, vol. v. 



p. 77, pi. 9. fig._7. 

 1885. Lepralia Poissonii, Hincks, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 5, vol. xv. p. 256. 

 1888. Lepralia Poissonii, Kirkpatrick, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, vol. i. p. 78, 



pi. 8. fig. 1, 



Mr. Waters has included this species in his paper on Madeiran Polyzoa ; 

 the specimen in the Funchal Museum is dead. I dredged similar dead 

 examples in 1897, but lately Senhor De Noronha has sent me beautiful 

 examples from Porto Santo and the Grand Salvages. These have both the 

 vibracula and the wonderful long encircling setose spines in the finest order. 

 I figure both the living and dead state. In Audouin's figure what should have 

 been vibracula are represented by boss-like swellings such as occur in L. lata. 



Escliarella setosa, Smitt (Floridan Bryoz.) has been referred to L. Poissonii, 

 but I have the species from lat. 18° 22' N., long. 89° 21' W., 'Blake' 

 Expedition, and it is quite distinct. 



When dead, L. Poissonii bears a strong resemblance to L. lata, but the 

 orifice is narrower, especially below the constriction of the sides and that 

 constriction is more marked than in L. lata, while the places of the lateral 

 bosses of L. lata are here occupied by vibracula or the rounded openings 

 which they occupied. The front of the zooecia is imperforate and nearly 

 smooth. The ooecium subglobose, and originates very far down on the sides 

 of the oral opening, nearly down to the lower lip, but upon the aperture itself 

 it does not at all encroach either at the sides or above, in fact it takes the 

 form of a night-cap with an arched band in front, but it has not the centra 

 boss characteristic of the ooecium of L. lata. 



In the living condition there are two vibracula which are directed usuallv 

 downwards and inwards. There are no mouth-spines ; but the lower margins 

 of the zooecia are surrounded by about fourteen exceedingly long setiform 



LINN. JOURN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXX. 24 



