Excursion to Lihou. 



or sea hare, and the Holothuria or sea cucumber, with Chitons of 

 large size, are some of those I expected to find, as also that pret- 

 ty little Zoophyte sagartia sphyrodeta. To my regret we found 

 that part of the Island which we examined singularly deficient 

 in the more interesting of marine life — none of the above-named 

 were found — nor were we rewarded in discovering anything of a 

 new or unexpected nature to make up for our disappointment. 

 One small specimen of the Eolis or sea sheep was found, this is 

 somewhat of an interesting animal, and its propensities should 

 be remembered by anyone contemplating the keeping of an 

 aquarium. It devours small anemones, and the Gemmacea or 

 pinklet appears to be a " bonne bouche." Crustacea, 

 echinoderms (excepting the Ophiocoma Eosula or brittle star, 

 and Asterina gibbosa) were few and far between, as also were 

 the Zoophytes, found abundantly in many parts. Annelids 

 were not common. I did not come across a single specimen of 

 the common rock bait or Nereis. On the mainland side of the 

 passage leading to the Island, there were on either side, spaces 

 of water which do not drain, and which we examined for a 

 limited time, and from certain signs I am led to suppose, that 

 if properly worked that locality would produce many more 

 interesting specimens than on the Island of Lihou itself. I 

 must not forget to say that on the Island considerable quantities 

 of Botryllus were found, but not in anything like the quantity 

 or variety of colour as can be found in Herin. In the pools on 

 this side of the Island, which I have before alluded to, I 

 noticed quantities of what one of the members spoke of as 

 being compound ascidians, but I regret that with my imperfect 

 knowledge, and not having had time to refer to special books 

 on the subject (if any in the Island), I have not been able to 

 identify them. The same remark applies to very pretty 

 specimens of a low order of marine life. In shape the animal 

 is like a transparent vase with longitudinal opaque stripes. I 

 do not know to what order it belongs, and have not been able 

 to recognise it in Gosse's Marine Zoology. Nor can I identify 



