Page:VCH Suffolk 1.djvu/128

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A HISTORY OF SlJFFOLK I. HYDROZOA {cimf.) I. Hydroid Zoophytes (cent.) Sertularta abietina, Linn. Collected by Mr Hope near Harwich — argentea, Ellis & Sol. Found near Harwich by Mr. Hope Hydrallmama fakata, Linn. Collected near Har- wich by Mr. Hope Antennularia antennina, Linn. Found near Harwich by Mr. Hope Plumularia setacea, Ellis. Specimens bearing gonophores occur in the Orwell near Fin- miU — echinulata, Lamarck. Specimens taken by Mr. Hope in June and October bear gono- phores 2. Medusae {a) Hydromeditsa I have obtained a number of specimens by means of a tow net, and in sievings of the water; they were not well preserved for indenti- fication, but appeared to be some species of Phialidium. Probably many others could be obtained if specially looked for (^) Discomedusa Chrysaora isosceles, Linn. I have collected more of this in Harwich Harbour than elsewhere. In 1 899 I saw an unusually large one at Felixstowe, estimated to have a disc a foot in diameter, and tentacles five or six feet long Cyanea capUlata, Linn. For some years I have seen considerable numbers in Harwich Harbour, in the Orwell, and in the Aide at Orford. They were chiefly of a creamy white, or of a more or less brown orange colour. The amount of solid matter in these animals is surprisingly small. One from which the salt was removed by keep- ing in dilute formalin was found to contain at least 99 J per cent, of water — lamarckii, Peron & Les. This beautiful blue purple medusa is usually rare, but in Sep- tember 1 884. was fairly common in the Aide near Shingle Street, and possibly I once jaw it in the Orwell In 1 884 1 obtained a medusa in the Orwell, of which I made a coloured drawing, which differed from any of the above species of Cyanea in having the lower appendages of a fine brown colour, but the drawing is not sufficiently detailed to identify the species I. HYDROZOA {com.) 2. Medusae {cent.) {b) Discomedusa (cont.) Jurfiia aurita, Linn. This is by far the most abundant of all the medusae. The number in the Orwell is often most remarkable, so that occasionally there appear to be 100 or so in each square yard. I never remem- ber seeing anything like so many in the Stour, Deben, or Aide. Sometimes I have seen specimens in Harwich Harbour i 5 in. in diameter. I have an interesting series of more or less rare abnormal varieties, some of which may be due to injuries when young Rhizostoma octopus, Linn. I have never seen this in any of the estuaries of Suffolk, but havs met with a few large individuals in the Wallet, though not so many as farther south-west II. CTENOPHORA Pkurobrachia pileus, Fleming. Both large and small specimens used to be very abundant in the Stour and Orwell about 1 897, but afterwards seemed to become more and more scarce, and in 1900 and 1901 I obtained very few, though carefully looking for them III. ANTHOZOA (Sm Anemones and Corals) Akyonium digitatum, Linn. Found off Harwich outside the harbour, but the specimens are small and not common Actinoloba dianthus, Ellis. I have often obtained the white and flesh-coloured, but not the dark brown varieties at extreme low water level from the piers at Harwich and Parkston Sagartia troghdites. In the Orwell near Pinmill I have often dredged specimens too small for proper identification attached to large indi- viduals o{ Ascidiella aspersa I have been informed that this species occurs on the rocks left dry off Felixstowe, but am not sure the identification was correct, and it may be the species just noticed Tealia crassicornis, O. F. MuUer. I have collected this many times in the Orwell near Pinmill, and it was very abundant off Harwich at low water level in 190 1. It was also com- mon in the Aide opposite Orford, and may be so now Halcampa ckrysantkellum, Gosse. I have occasionally found this in the mud near Pinmill, but not in later years IV. NEMERTINEA Lineus obscurus, Desor. The only place in which I have found this was in the mud of the Stour near Mistley. It is remarkable for the extent to which it can elongate itself Amphiporus kctifloreus, Johnston. I have found only one specimen, which was a good many years ago, in the mud of the Orwell at Pin- mill 90