Observations on British Zoophytes. 



439 



Body, octangular ; fins, pectoral, anal, and caudal, awanting. 

 Length of fish, 19f inches ; length of head, 1 J inch ; point 

 of snout to orbit, § inch ; front of orbit to extremity of oper- 

 culum, § inch ; length from snout to anus, 9J inches ; from 

 anus to point of tail, 10J- inches ; from snout to first dorsal 

 fin ray, 7J- inches ; length of dorsal fin, 2§ inches ; from last 

 ray of dorsal fin to point of tail, 9f inches. The posterior 

 termination of the dorsal fin is therefore nearly in the middle 

 of the fish. 



The body consists of twenty-nine rings or divisions, the 

 anus being in the twenty-ninth; the tail of about sixty. 

 No depressions were observed on the abdomen, — probably a 

 female. Dorsal fin, of thirty-nine rays, resting on nine rings 

 of body and two of tail [21st to 31st inclusive] ; anus under 

 twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth rays of fin. (For descrip- 

 tions of other specimens, see pp. 290 and 291). 



Professor Fleming, in his "British Animals," described 

 this fish as rare, and called attention to the fact of its being 

 " obviously pointed out by Sibbald, as an inhabitant of the 

 Firth of Forth," in 1684. Yarrell also states that examples 

 of this species are rare. 



VI. Observations on British Zoophytes. (1.) Vorticlava Proteus. (2.) 

 Trichydra pudica. (3 ) On the Development of Pycnogon Larvae 

 within the Polyps of Hydractinia. By T. Strethill Wright, M.D. 



(1.) Vorticlava Proteus. (Plate XVII.) 



Scleroderma absent. Colletoderm covering body of polyp. 

 Upper row of tentacles capitate 5 ; lower row 9. 



Several specimens of this zoophyte were found in the 

 " Fluke Hole," Firth of Forth. The body of the polyp is 

 exceedingly extensible. At one time a mere button at- 

 tached to the stone on which it dwells ; at another it trans- 

 forms itself into the various shapes shown in the accom- 

 panying figures. A hard covering to the body would neces- 

 sarily prevent or impede these motions. The scleroderm, 

 therefore, is absent, and the whole body of the polyp is 

 covered with a layer of transparent " colline," which ex- 

 tends from the foot, where it forms a thick mass, to a ridge 



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