720 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acadenip. 



Laodice calcarata, Agassiz. 



• Zaodice calcarata, 'Kaeckel, 1879, p. 134; Browne, 1897, P. Z. S., 

 p. 823, pi. xlix. 



In 1895, three specimens were taken in April and three in 

 Jidy. 



In 1896, five specimens were taken in July and August. On 

 Septemher 3rd we visited Puffin Island (a few miles south of 

 Valencia), and there Mr. Gamble found a few specimens close 

 to the rocks. On the two following days a small shoal entered 

 Valencia Harbour, but soon disappeared. It consisted almost 

 entirely of fine adult specimens, 20-27 mm. in diameter. 



In 1897, it first appeared in ilay and disappeared in I^ovem- 

 ber. It was fairly common in August and September and 

 again in jS^ovember. 



In 1898, it first appeared in June and disappeared in 

 J^ovember ; very abundant diu'ing July and August. 



The specimens taken in 1896 were nearly colourless, but the 

 largest specimens taken in 1897-98 had pinkish gonads. This 

 species has not often been recorded in British seas. 

 Melicertidium octocostatum (Sars). 



StromolracJiium octocostatum, Porbes, 1848, p. 30, pi. iv. 

 Melicertidiuvi octocostatum, Haeckel, 1879, p. 136. 



A solitary specimen was taken in the harbour by the Misses 

 Delap on July 19th, 1898, and sent to me for identification. It 

 measiu-ed 6 mm. in length and 4 mm. in width; the gonads 

 were fairly well developed. 



This species, I believe, belongs to oui' northern fauna, and 

 occasionally drifts southwards. It was first taken by Sars off 

 the Norwegian coast, and has been several times recorded off the 

 Scottish coasts : — Bute (Porbes), Arran (Landsborough), St. 

 Andrew's (M'Intosh), Cromarty Pirth (Romanes). It was 

 abundant in Lamlash Bay, in Arran, dm-ing August, 1897, 

 when Messrs. Jenkinson and Montagu, of University College, 

 London, found some fine specimens. 



Greene (1857) has recorded it for Dublin Bay, and two speci- 

 mens were taken by me at Port Erin in 1893. Porbes found it 

 common in the bays on the north-west coast of Ireland in 1839. 

 It has only once been recorded for the English Channel, at 

 Palmouth, by Cocks (1849), when it was abundant in the 

 summer. 



