74 
meeting of tlie British Association ; but concerning whi 1 -' 1 
the only conclusion definitely formed was, that the specie", 
and perhaps the genus, was new to Britain, if not to science- 
It consisted of an oblong mass ten inches in length, seven 
wide, and about three in thickness, the weight three ounce* 
less than three pounds. The under surface, by a portion 0 
which it had been attached to a solid body, was flat 31]( 
bare, and of the whole breadth of the animal; but it was n 0 ^ 
quite the whole length. At the end which I would design 3 ^ 
the anterior, was a wide and somewhat deep cavity, but n°^ 
leadiug to any organization within; and it is at. this part tb® 
the flat under surface does not quite reach the extremity. * 
the left side (counting the anterior end as trout) a void sp aC 
for two thirds of the length, hare and rigid, and on its upp® 
portion an orifice; another in a depression about the mid® 
of the upper surface: the direction running toward one 
Round the margin of the under surface, and irregularly 
placed on the upper, are a number of lumps or broad lube* - 
cles, which are covered and encircled with flaccid process 1 ®;’ 
that are most numerous on the anterior end. They vary 
length from a quarter of an inch to an inch, and a few 31 
O 1 ~ v “ 7 '* 15 
bifurcate. If there be any orifice to these processes, 
minute; but the process is wide, flat, and flaccid; and eac 
has a light coloured vessel, or intestine having yellow 
o t 
brown contents; and a row of white thick set dots on e 3 *^ 
side. Colour a leek-green, except the processes, wliij^ 
therefore appear conspicuous. This description conveys 1 1 
idea of an animal of the class Ascidia, and differing from 
ordinary form of the known species only in the existence 0 
organized processes. But dissection proves it to belong 
a very different genus of the Cuvierian order Aoalepb* 
Instead of having a separate intestine communicating w 1 j 
orifices, the whole of the interior was solid, gelatinous, ^ 
only not homogenous by being intersected in all direct !’’ 11 
with a multitude of fine white threads. Beside the proti' a 
ding processes, a few also were found inserted in the Sl1 j- 
stance beneath the surface, as if not yet exserted. Each 0 , 
these processes contains a stomach or intestine, which pen® 
trates for nearly an inch, swelling as it approaches 1 
greatest depth ; and from this part a thread passes into t ' 1 
anterior, anastomosing with others iu an inextricable d® 
work : at last uniting again to form two black threads, 0 j 
of which passes to each of the orifices already mention® ’ 
in the side and summit. In each of these orifices w» s 
quantity of powdered coralline; but no grittiness could 
perceived in any other part of its structure. It se ®! 1 
therefore to become digested in the cavity, and the nutrB* 
part only to be conveyed within. In one part of the int®>* 
