Parasitic on Medusæ, Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans: south shore of England(?)[45]

I have not seen this species, and have drawn up the above specific character from the Plates and brief descriptions in the Voyages of the Coquille and Astrolabe. M. Lesson thinks that his species differs from that of MM. Quoy and Gaimard; but as the peculiar yellow colour of the capitulum, general shape, short cirri, habits and range, are all common to both, I believe that they are identical. There is, however, one singular difference, namely, that the cirri are coloured bright blue in the Plate in the Voyage of the Astrolabe, and yellowish in that in the Voyage of the Coquille: this possibly may have resulted from the drawing in the latter case having been made from a specimen long kept in spirits.

M. Lesson says that there are seven pair of cirri, from which I infer that this species has a pair of long, articulated, caudal appendages: he asserts that each cirrus has ten segments; the cirri are short and little curled. M. Lesson remarks, that “deux languettes bifurques occupent le bas de l’ouverture ovale:” I can hardly doubt but that these are horny scuta of nearly the same shape as in A. minuta. The whole animal seems to be extremely transparent, and of a “jaune-citron clair.” MM. Quoy and Gaimard, however, remark, that different specimens vary from white to yellow. Entire length two inches, of which the capitulum is fourteen French lines. The peduncle is narrow and short.

[45] See Foot-note, p. 159.

3. Alepas cornuta. [Pl. III], [fig. 6.]

A. aperturâ parvâ, leviter prominente: scutis nullis: capitulo plerumque tribus, parvis, compressis eminentiis secundum carinalem marginem instructo.

Orifice small, slightly protuberant; capitulum without horny scuta; generally with three small flattened projections along the carinal margin.

Outer maxillæ with the inner bristles divided into two groups; segments of the posterior cirri extremely numerous, each with one pair of main spines; inner rami of the fifth and sixth cirri rudimentary.

St. Vincent’s, West Indies, attached to an Antipathes, collected by the Rev. L. Guilding.

Capitulum globular, slightly flattened, smooth, translucent, entirely destitute of valves; orifice slightly projecting or tubular, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the peduncle, with the edges sinuous; it appears more tubular than it really is, from the convexity of the part of the capitulum immediately beneath the orifice. Three small, flexible, horny, irregular prominences project from the carinal margin; one at the bottom of the capitulum; a second about half-way up it; and a third generally close to the orifice; but their positions vary a little, and the prominences vary still more in shape and size, being either rounded and very small, or much flattened and considerably prominent; they are imperforate; in the membrane under them a few tubuli may be seen, which are not elsewhere visible; their summits are roughened with very minute points and beads of chitine; others, still minuter, are scattered over the whole capitulum.