Ch. Xn.] COMATUL^. NUDIBEANOHS. 19,i 



upon adding the minute quantity of corrosive sublimate, the 

 animal rapidly discharged its colour, and broke up into 

 minute fragments. This species also showed no inclination 

 to break itself up while in health, even when handled ; and, 

 indeed, this peculiarity, usually supposed so characteristic 

 of the feather-stars, is by no means universal. Two large- 

 sized and remarkably beautiful specimens of different species, 

 obtained at Singapore, I handled with impunity without 

 breaking the smallest portion of them ; but, unfortunately 

 (and this well illustrates the difficulty of doing aU one would 

 wish, even under apparently advantageous circumstances), 

 these specimens were obtained so late in the day that it was 

 impossible to do anything with them till daylight reappeared. 

 But, alas ! the bucket which in the evening contained two 

 healthy and splendid feather-stars, held in the morning only 

 an offeiisive mass of small fragments, the colour of the water 

 and of the remains being equally unattractive. 



Nudibranchs here appeared to be few, or my ill-fortune 

 prevented me from discovering them. Mr. Low told me that 

 he had frequently seen very beautiful species, of which, 

 however, he had not taken any particular note, and kindly 

 took me to where he thought I should find them, but we 

 both were equally unsuccessful. The first I met with I 

 at once recognised as the blue Doris (D. Barnardii) of 

 Makung Harbour. Next time I obtained the crimson-spotted 

 one already obtained at Slut Island in Haitan Straits. I 

 was ultimately successful in getting a very elegant species, 

 striated along the back with delicate alternate lines of deep 

 brown and yellow. This appeared to be a not uncommon 

 species on these shores, and I have met with it nowhere else. 

 Some very beautiful Planarian worms, which at first had the 

 appearance of nudibranchs, and were not less interesting, 



2 



