ON PHYMOSOMA VARIANS. 



ARTHUR E. SHIPLEY, M.A, 



Fellow and Lecturer of Christ's College, Cambridge, and Demonstrator 

 of Comparative Anatomy in the University. 



With Plates, VII.— X. 



The material which forms the basis of the following paper 

 was collected and preserved by Mr W. F. R. Weldon, of 

 St John's College, Cambridge, during a visit to the Bahamas. 

 On his return to England Mr Weldon commenced to work at 

 Phymosoma, and made many microscopic sections and drawings. 

 When, hoM'^ever, he received the appointment, which he now 

 holds at Plymouth he handed the whole material, together 

 with his drawings, to me, with a request that I would complete 

 the work thus interrupted. This statement will serve to show 

 how much I am indebted to Mr Weldon, both for material 

 and for many of the drawings; but I have further to express 

 my indebtedness to him for many suggestions and much help 

 in completing the work he was unfortunately obliged to lay 

 aside. 



The observations here recorded were made on a species of 

 Phymosoma (Ph. varians, Selenka) collected in the Bahama 

 Islands. 



This species was sufficiently common in the island of New 

 Providence ; but it occurred still more abundantly in the 

 lagoon of the Bemini atoll. The specimens were obtained by 

 breaking up soft masses of coral rock with a hammer. Pieces 



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