84 



JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON.) 



[Vol. III. 



yellow, edged broadly with white, then by a rich broad red 

 line ; adjoining this is a whitish space, and carried round the 

 mantle, near the body, is a still more brilliant blood red line, 

 with internal club-shaped prolongations of the same beautiful 

 purple red colour. Interspace and for about a quarter of an 

 inch of breadth of the back, the mantle is again whitish, with 

 shades of purple and yellow nearer the beautifully mottled back. 

 The underside of mantle has also a broad white edge, the rest 

 brilliantly variegated with dotted purple, yellow and red splashes. 

 Branchiae 7 or 8, large, branched ; each rising from a separate 

 cavity in a circle about half an inch from a protruding yellow 

 coloured anal orifice. Plumes roseus, with red midribs. Dorsal 

 tentacles large, clavate ; apex pointed, slightly truncated, on 

 inner edge laminated ; colour pinkish and spotted yellow ; 

 ridge of cavity spotted with yellow and red. Head large, 

 protruding nearly three-quarters of an inch from mantle. Mouth 

 near foot, situated in the centre of an oval projection, and on 

 each side a long broad toothed leaflet or oral appendage, red and 

 dotted like the head. Foot long, broad, with parallel sides, rounded 

 and transversely split in front. It has a broad lemon coloured 

 edge with transverse striae ; the rest pinkish red, not spotted ; 

 a dark purple spot in centre given by the internal viscera. 



This is by far the most beautiful species of Doris or sea 

 nymph I have ever seen, and none but a good artist could 

 do justice to its resplendent beauties. The large ample surface of 

 the mantle, with its soft, snowy white undulating edge, is best 

 seen when the animal is swimming, and reflecting in the water 

 the rich red folds near the golden speckled back, on which is 

 placed a broad circle of rosy coloured feathery tufts. The live 

 specimen, of which the above is but a faint description, was 

 found under corals in low water near Fort Frederick. . In 

 another specimen from the same locality, the w hite edge of the 

 -mantle was replaced by a rich crimson red, which coalesced 

 with the inner red line, leaving a faint white line. Indeed, 

 it is a question which of the two varieties looked more beau- 

 tiful ; at night, however, the palm of beauty was awarded to 

 the red margined specimen. They both lived for some days in 



