Observations on British Zoophytes. 379 



it is an elastic tube, which appears to consist of denser tissue 

 than either of the elements of the body. The axis of the 

 tube is occupied along its whole length by a powerful mus- 

 cular band, which is well seen in the figure (PI. XIX. fig. 

 1 d), in which the tube is distended with water, as sometimes 

 occurs. The animals are very sluggish, remaining for days 

 motionless, with all their rays extended ; but the moment they 

 are touched they vanish, drawn close down by their powerful 

 muscular apparatus into the interstices of the shells in which 

 they are generally found. Zooteirea multiplies by gemma- 

 tion. The bud, which is given off close to the stalk, sepa- 

 rates as a minute Actinophrys, which instantly fixes itself 

 and develops its stalk. The low T er part of the stalk is in- 

 cluded in a mass of gelatinous tissue into which the animal 

 can entirely retract itself. The long tentacles of Zooteirea 

 religata can only be properly brought into " black ground 

 illumination," when they appear like the rays of a silvery 

 star, slightly curving under the influence of currents in the 

 waters. 



4. Freya [Lagotia) cibstetrica, Freya stylifer (n. sp , T. S. W.) 

 It is now some years since I described several species 

 of the new genus Lagotia to the Society. It appears, how- 

 ever, that Claparede and Lachmann had already consti- 

 tuted the genus Freya for animals evidently belonging to 

 my genus Lagotia, in a memoir which they communicated 

 to the French Academy, which memoir was printed after my 

 communication to this Society. The species of Freya dis- 

 covered by them, differed from any of my species, and I have 

 now to describe two other species of this very remarkable 

 genus. Freya obstetrica (PI. XIX. fig. 4.) — il Lobes of rota- 

 tory organ very broad, not folded ; the tips bluntly rounded 

 and incurved, so as to resemble very closely the blades of 

 the obstetric forceps. Body fusiform, scarcely longer than 

 the rotatory lobes. Nucleus large, colourless, surrounded 

 by dense green pigment. Body and rotatory lobes covered 

 with striae, bearing fringes of cilia. Cell flask-shaped, with- 

 out a trumpet-shaped mouth. Colour of animal and cell 

 pale bluish green." Freya stylifer (figs. 5, 6.) — " Eotatory 

 lobes short, narrow, and widely expanded, one of the lobes 

 bearing at its tip a fleshly prolongation or style as long as 



