146 



Excursion to Lihou. 



a gasteropod, which was rather common there. It is a yellow 

 slug, but unlike the Doris, it has an internal shell, which is 

 white and of a very delicate texture. In this respect it 

 resembles the Aplysia punctata, which also has an internal 

 shell, but in other respects the animals are widely dissimilar. 

 I have known it for some years, taken principally at Bordeaux 

 harbour. I believe it to be a Pleurobranchus. I took one 

 good specimen of Fissurella reticulata or keyhole limpet, also 

 ormers, and very fine Trochus Ziziphinus. We found an 

 octopus at home, who refused to be dislodged by being poked 

 with sticks, or being coaxed out in a more gentle manner. I 

 allowed him to fasten his suckers on to my hand, hoping to 

 draw him out, but to this arrangement he declined to accede, 

 and we were forced to leave him in his den, as we had not 

 archimedean powers to remove a little stone of about a ton 

 weight, which protected him against such invaders as ourselves. 

 Probably a fisherman armed with a stout hook would have 

 captured him in a short space of time. It is said that neither 

 the octopus nor the conger is so prevalent round the coast, as it 

 was some years ago. The octopus, pieuvre, or devil fish of 

 Victor Hugo, being the most tempting bait for the big eel. 

 The dearth of marine objects enabled Mr. Marquand to pay 

 attention to the flora, about which I have no doubt he has 

 something to say to you. Although this paper is somewhat of 

 a negative kind, I think I may safely say that we all enjoyed 

 the excursion to Lihou Island. Since writing the above, the 

 animal alluded to as being like a small transparent vase, has 

 been identified by Mr. Marquand as Clavelina Upadiformis 

 (Gosse), and that gentleman must also be credited with having 

 found the interesting echinoderm ophiocoma neglecta, and with 

 having confirmed me in my opinion that the yellow mollusc, 

 with internal shell is Pleurobranchus. 



J. B. Bandell. 



