A DREDGING EXCURSION. 39 



specimens of lobster, a beautiful specimen . of the cray fish 

 four inches long, some small objects like lobsters, flattened out 

 with long claws, with bright red nodules (Galathea strigosa), 

 and many forms that require us to go to the reference table 

 to rind names for. 



2. Zoophytes (Ascidians), both common and compound. 

 These are masses of jelly-like substance attached at the base 

 to submarine objects, or united together in various ways, 

 sometimes by a mantle, at others by a sort of common stalk. 

 We have a lot of plant-like specimens, some flat, others like 

 tufts or whorls of plants, but all under a live stem ; they are 

 all articulated. These are Zoophytes proper, and composed 

 of a lot of small animals growing together on a common stalk 

 in the same manner as the compound polypes with which 

 they were formerly arranged. Some are soft, some horny, 

 and some appear to feel and retract when touched; others 

 are quite impassive. I daresay we have fifty or sixty sorts, 

 amongst which, conspicuous by its bright colour, is the 

 coral aru, as the fish women call it (Gorgonia verrucosa). 

 We have also several specimens of Plumidaria, Corynactis 

 vivid is, &c. Anemones, amongst which is a fine specimen 

 of Parasitica on the back of a hermit crab, which, when 

 open, is like the flower of an artichoke, only a beautiful 

 pearly white. We have a lot of the coral insects' work, some 

 in leaves, some in round nodules on pieces of stone, and 

 sponges of different sorts. I would call your attention to the 

 cover this affords — a favourite shelter to all kinds of small 

 crustaceans, and many prizes would be found by a careful 

 examination. 



3. Soft-bodied animals. — We have Aplysia or sea-hare, 

 both the large species and the one about f of an inch long ; 

 this one takes you ten minutes to find at first, and after that 

 you can find them by the dozen. Sea mice that shoot their 

 spines into your fingers like a porcupine. Worms of various 

 sorts, such as Nereis, Sabella, Berpula, and the curious 

 Synapta that is covered all over with anchors. 



4. We have in this group sea urchins — first the large 

 one, reddish shell, with a small crop of white spines ; that is 

 Echinus escidentus or the edible echinus; a purple one with 

 very thick spines, a light or dull green one with coarse spines ; 

 these are from a rocky bottom, whilst from the sand we have 

 two sorts of heart-shaped urchins, or as the fishermen call 

 them, ^Monkey Faces, and as the dredge has gone over a piece 

 ol green grass, we have been lucky enough to secure one of 

 the oval grass-green echini about J of an inch long, and 



