Seaside Natural History 



87 



a group of animals which form colonies, and are, for the most 

 part, fixed. They are often spoken of as moss-animals. 

 Some of the marine forms bear a remarkable resemblance 

 to seaweed, and are often mistaken for plants by visitors to 

 the seaside. Examination of a "leaf" quickly reveals the 

 difference between it and a true seaweed. 



The observer can easily make out, with the help of a pocket 

 lens, the numerous cells which closely stud each side of a 

 "leaf." The mouths of these cells vary according to the 

 species, a lip is present in some, e.g., in the Phylactolsemata, 

 which are chiefly fresh-water forms ; the mouth has a tongue- 

 shaped lip. 



The Chilostomata, or lip-mouthed Bryozoa, include the sea- 

 mats (Flustra, from the Saxon flustrian, to weave). Two 

 species are represented in the plate. Fig. i, Flustra foliacea, 

 popularly termed " Broad-leaved Horn wrack." It is brown, 

 and has a peculiar smell, variously described as " fishy," or 

 resembling " violets," " oranges," or "verbena." 



Fig. 2, nine cells of the above, magnified to show the lip-like 

 lid and the scattered marginal denticles. The lid is elastic, 

 and serves as a covering for the delicate and soft tentacles. 



Fig. 3. The polypidom, or stock of Flustra truncata L., 

 (= Flustra secuvifrons, Pallas ; Pennington's British Zoophytes 

 p. 237), the "Narrow-leaved Hornwrack " of Ellis. The 

 linear-oblong cells with smooth margins are shown in fig. 4. 

 According to Johnston this species occurs " in deep water. 

 Very common on the shores of Scotland and of the North 

 of England. In the South it seems to be rare." 



The moss animals are remarkable in their many methods 

 of reproduction. The sexual method and multiplication is by 

 budding in the marine forms ; the fresh-water species repro- 

 duce themselves by winter buds and statoblasts. 



No. V. — The Bottle-brush Coralline. 



This plate, like the preceding ones, is taken from " John- 

 ston's British Zoophytes" (plates xvii. and xviii.). It depicts 

 the " Bottle brush Coralline," Thuiaria thuja. 



