EOLIS PAPILLOSA. 



Mr. Price, whose success in keeping marine animals is well known, informs us that 

 U. papillosa does well in confinement. Its voracious habits, however, make it an unpleasant 

 neighbour. He has observed it to attack an Actinia gemmacea, kept in the same vessel, and 

 even to enter its mouth with impunity. There may be something in the mucus, which this 

 Bolis exudes very copiously, injurious to other animals, or it may be that the urticating bodies 

 from the papillas may have some powerful effect, otherwise we should wonder at its temerity 

 in venturing within the clutches of so powerful an antagonist. 



The following interesting account of a similar attack on the Helianthoid Zoophytes has 

 been communicated to us by Mr. Gosse. 



" Last spring, when at Torquay, I kept in a large pan of sea-water many kinds of marine 

 animals. Among these were a fine specimen of Anthea cereus (the variety with rose-tipped 

 satin-green tentacles) and three of Bolis papillosa. 



"One day I found the largest JEolis papillosa eating the tentacles of the Anthea, and when 

 I attempted to pull it away, it held so firmly that the mouth was almost everted. Soon 

 afterwards I again found it at the same work of destruction, and one of the smaller specimens 

 was attacking the unfortunate Anthea also. The mollusks were eager and fierce, stretching 

 forward to their prey from their points of attachment, to which they adhered only by the 

 extremity of the foot ; and frequently erecting and reversing their crowded branchise. On 

 being again removed, they again returned, though from a considerable distance, so that when 

 I looked at the pan, I almost always found one or both the Bolides devouring their victim, so 

 much larger though more sluggish than themselves. The tentacles, when gnawned and torn, 

 presently became shrivelled; some of them were torn away by the Bolides, and a large 

 quantity of viscid albuminous matter was discharged in the form of irregular threads or webs 

 attached to surrounding objects. The process of devouring went on from day to day. 



" On one occasion, one of the Bolides attacked a magnificent Actinia crassicomis in the 

 same vessel, and had eaten a hole in its side as large as a pea before I discovered the 

 mischief."* 



We have taken from the mouth and stomach of this species, minute specimens of the 

 common mussel. 



Figs. 1, 2, 3. Eolis papillosa, different views. 



4. Two branchial papilla?, upper side. 



5. Under side of a branchial papilla. 



6. Spawn. 



7. A portion of the same. 



8. The same, exhibiting ova. 



9. A few of the ova much enlarged. 



* This account has since been published in the very interesting ' Rambles of a Naturalist on the 

 Devonshire Coast/ p. 15. 



