216 



Appendices to Fourth Annual Report 



and Edwardsia, The agitation of the bottom has proved fatal to 

 myriads of sand-stars, which, though forming a favourite diet of most 

 food fishes (and no less of the gulls), are seldom disturbed by a trawl. 

 Multitudes of the common cross-fish, butthorns, sun-stars, common and 

 heart urchins, and here and there a sea-cucumber^ are cushioned on the 

 extensive beds formed by the empty tubes of the sand worms (TereheUce)^ 

 and other debris. Many living specimens likewise occur in the latter 

 tubes, though it is only in very severe agitation of the bottom, with an 

 alteration of the sand-level, that these deeply seated forms are swept on 

 the beach. The most conspicuous amongst the other annelids are the 

 large sea mice, which occasionally are heaped in long lines to perish on 

 the sand. The crabs include small specimens of swimming crabs (but 

 this year not one variegated swimmer), numerous masked crabs (chiefly 

 males), and hermit-crabs. 



The shell-fishes which have been dislodged are very abundant, and two 

 of these especially merit notice, both from their immunity in regard to 

 capture by either dredge or trawl, and their value to the fisherman as bait. 

 They are the Cyprina (the ' daikie ' of the fisherman), and the razor-fish, 

 both burrowing deeply in the sand. Most of the mollusks which inhabit 

 the extensive sandy flats of the bay are represented, such as Mya, Madra^ 

 Venus, Tellina, Donax, Natica, and Scaphander; while Buccinum and 

 Fususj frequenting different ground, also largely suffer. 



Eemarks on Invertebrates, including forms used as Bait. 



The recent storm in November was noteworthy for the number of fine 

 examples of the anemone, Peachia hastata, dislodged from the sand. It 

 was discovered for the first time in Britain (in 1 846) by the late Pro- 

 fessor John Reid and Mrs Macdonald, of St Andrews, after a similar 

 storm, but the former author gave no name, and his figure was indifferent.* 

 Three years afterwards it was fully described by Mr Gosse,t and is now 

 adequately figured.! I^i confinement it is by no means hardy if care be 

 not taken to supply it with sand. 



The period of spawning of Asterias ruhens (the common cross-fish), and 

 Cribrella ocidata ranges from December to March. Occasionally they 

 are somewhat earlier. A similar relationship of the sexes exists at the 

 breeding season, as in Antedon and Asterina. The common sea-cucumber 

 deposited a large quantity of reddish ova in April. These were ejected 

 in the form of fragile strings on the surface of the water, the least inter- 

 ference causing them to break asunder and float freely on the surface. 

 The eggs are ovate or somewhat rounded, presenting externally a peculiar 

 villous aspect, apparently from protoplasmic filaments outside the very 

 thin capsule. Unfortunately no male could be obtained. An example 

 of the somewhat rare holothurian Psoitis phantapus, which for a consider- 

 able time has been in confinement, has quite changed its colour. When 

 captured it had the usual madder-brownish appearance, but now it is 

 uniformly dull whitish. Instead of having the five rows of suckers along 

 the cucumber-like body, this form has only three rows confined to a limited 

 area on the lower surface. 



Amongst annelids some attention has been given by Mr Prince and 



* Anat. and Pathol. Observat, p. 656 (Plate v.' fig. 21). 



t Proceed. Lin. Sac, March, 1855, and also Brit. Anem., p. 235 (Plate viii. 

 fig. 3). 



X Op. city and also Marine Invertebrates and Fishes of St Andrews (Plate ii. 

 figs. 5, 6, and ?)► 



